In March 2021, the Port of Oakland received three cranes from ZPMC, a Chinese company with government ties, marking them as North America's tallest ship-to-shore cranes, aimed at boosting port efficiency. However, the Biden administration has raised cybersecurity concerns regarding these cranes, prompting an Executive Order on Port Security to safeguard national ports and supply chains. This strategy involves a $20 billion investment in U.S. crane production with PACECO Corp, enhancing crane operators' IT and OT security, and mandating maritime cyber incident reporting. Experts like Herbert Lin warn of the potential for embedded malicious code within the cranes' software by Chinese manufacturers, posing risks to U.S. supply chain integrity and data security. This stance is supported across party lines, with revelations of espionage devices found on ZPMC cranes at the Port of Baltimore. Ports like Seattle, Tacoma, and Los Angeles are assessing these cyber espionage threats, highlighting the complex trade-offs between cost-efficiency and national security in the U.S.-China economic relationship.
White House raises security concerns about cranes at Oakland's port