The selection of security services providers is often a headache that the captain could very happily do without, notwithstanding the critical safety service they are there to deliver.

With the shipping industry wrestling with a range of maritime security issues, from piracy to stowaways, terrorists to smugglers, the last thing owners may wish to hear is about a new and growing threat.

With the worrying rise in piracy attacks across the South East Asian region, the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) urges caution for vessels operating in the area.

Muscat: Three suspected piracy incidents, including one involving an exchange of gunfire, have been recorded in the Strait of Hormuz between Oman and Iran in the last 24 hours, maritime sources claimed.

Piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden have fallen dramatically, but this is no reason to become complacent. Jo Morgan shares her personal experience of three very different approaches to security onboard.

Maritime security threats are ever-changing and affect vessels of all types, including large yachts. Attacks are no longer confined...

The private maritime security industry has been in a state of flux for years. It has grown exponentially, rising to meet the needs of a moment but growing well beyond the actual threats represented by piracy off East Africa. It has been the subject of both praise and criticism. It has evolved in technique, adapted to the times. It has benefitted from loose – some might even argue nonexistent – regulation and oversight, while also falling subject to harsh interpretations of local laws in many instances.

The contributory factors that have led to a sharp fall in piracy in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden are well known: greater take-up of BMP4 (Best Management Practices Version 4), increased and more effective naval presence (either as a national action or part of a multi-national task group), and an increase in the number of privately contracted armed guards through private maritime security companies (PMSCs). But these factors only act as a deterrent and the underlying causes of piracy are much more difficult to deal with and will take a much more concerted effort by nation states.

Implications for armed security in West Africa tied up in a Nigerian case involving Russians and a "floating armory," and continued volatility at the Suez Canal.

This week's security news roundup covers the trouble around the Suez Canal, continued speculation over U.S. budget talks and the one year anniversary of the Enrica Lexie incident.