  Increased dependence of the maritime industry on information and
communication networks has made shipboard power systems vulnerable to stealthy
cyber-attacks. One such attack variant, called rootkit, can leverage system
knowledge to hide its presence and allow remotely located malware handlers to
gain complete control of infected subsystems. This paper presents a
comprehensive evaluation of the threat landscape imposed by such attack
variants on Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) shipboard microgrids, including a
discussion of their impact on the overall maritime sector in general, and
provides several simulation results to demonstrate the same. It also analyzes
and presents the actions of possible defense mechanisms, with specific emphasis
on evasion, deception, and detection frameworks, that will help ship operators
and maritime cybersecurity professionals protect their systems from such
attacks.
