Securing the Digital Ocean: Cybersecurity, GIS, and Remote Sensing Data Governance in Blue Economy Systems

The digitization of blue economy systems has transformed ocean governance and coastal resource management through the integration of remote sensing technologies, satellite imagery, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), autonomous drones, and AI-powered data analytics to optimize fisheries monitoring, aquaculture management, and marine conservation. GIS-based spatial mapping and satellite-derived datasets have become indispensable tools for tracking fish stock distributions, monitoring illegal fishing activity, managing marine protected areas, and informing evidence based coastal planning. While these geospatial advancements offer unprecedented opportunities for resilience, transparency, and sustainable resource use, they simultaneously introduce significant concerns regarding the security and privacy of sensitive satellite, spatial, and community-generated maritime data. This paper examines the complex cybersecurity and geospatial data governance landscape emerging within blue economy digital infrastructure, identifying potential threats, vulnerabilities, and the protective measures necessary for safeguarding fishing communities’ data and ensuring the long-term sustainability of technology driven ocean management.

The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on marine governance, GIS science, remote sensing, computer science, and data privacy studies to provide a comprehensive assessment of the digital risk environment across ocean-based economies. Particular attention is given to the dual use nature of geospatial datasets including high resolution satellite imagery, vessel movement layers, and GIS modelled marine spatial planning outputs which, while essential for blue economy governance, carry significant risks of unauthorized access, data interception, and exploitation of ecologically and commercially sensitive spatial information. Through a systematic analysis of existing cybersecurity frameworks, spatial data infrastructures, and international privacy regulations, this paper proposes recommendations for robust data protection protocols and privacy enhancing technologies specifically tailored to GIS platforms, satellite data pipelines, and open ocean data-sharing environments characteristic of blue economy digital ecosystems.

The findings contribute to the ongoing dialogue on responsible technology adoption in blue economies, underscoring the critical need to balance geospatial innovation particularly advances in satellite monitoring and GIS driven marine spatial planning with the protection of coastal communities’ sensitive data. The paper further calls for inclusive geospatial data governance frameworks that center the rights and data sovereignty of small-scale fishing communities and Indigenous coastal peoples in the design, access, and stewardship of blue economy satellite and GIS infrastructure.