NextGen is proud to serve the diverse security needs of industries across many sectors. Maritime Transportation Systems are among them, as this industry is tasked with implementing a myriad of security measures. It’s one of the largest segments of industry in the world, which isn’t surprising when you consider that about 71% of the Earth’s surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5% of all Earth’s water.

Making sure that operations at sea and in our ports continue to run smoothly and safely – while ensuring that the timely flow of international commerce isn’t compromised – takes expertise. We at NextGen have that expertise.

Maritime security runs a wide gamut – it encompasses protecting crews, vessels and other seafaring assets from threats not only when they’re at sea but also in port. While the Maritime industry has long been vulnerable to security threats, dating back as far as the 1500s when the Piracy era first started, there’s been a greater focus since 9/11 on protecting the marine sector from terrorist and other attacks, both in port and at sea. To that end, many state and international organizations have organized to set standards to improve and further harden maritime security. Because the Maritime industry is so vast, and the amount of goods coming in to the U.S. equally vast, and therefore, challenging to screen, it is vitally important that every precaution possible is taken to reduce exploitation.

Security compliance is a big deal facing today’s marine industry, and it can be a bit daunting as there are so many possibilities for security breaches to occur.

Mindful of that, Congress, in 2008, established the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC™) program, which is a key security requirement to prevent people who pose a threat from gaining unescorted access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime transportation system. Administered by the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard, it mandates the use of TWIC cards – which are tamper-resistant, photo credential cards – to be issued to workers who require such access to ports, vessels, outer continental shelf facilities, and all qualified merchant mariners. TWIC cards have physical security features intended to provide a high level of guarantee that the cardholder is the same person to whom it was issued, and that the card being presented is valid. This mandate to use TWIC readers and cards is allowing most Maritime facilities to reap the full scope of its security benefits.

NextGen is called upon by many Maritime Transportation organizations because we have expertise in TWIC integration with physical access control systems. We’re also a trusted source for installing TWIC readers that are on the Coast Guard’s ICE list. We are proud to serve those in the crucially important Maritime industry. They navigate our seas and ports – NextGen is here to help them navigate the waters of security compliance mandates designed to protect them and those they serve.

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