CyberOwl’s New CEO Takes Helm as Maritime Cybersecurity Gap Widens
Russell Kempley steps up as CyberOwl processes 750 million daily security events from global fleets.
CyberOwl, the DNV-owned cybersecurity specialist for maritime and offshore assets, has appointed Russell Kempley as Chief Executive Officer, signalling a strategic shift toward unified fleet-wide cybersecurity solutions. Kempley, who joined the company in 2020 as Chief Security Officer, takes over from co-founder Daniel Ng, who steps down but remains a Strategic Advisor.
The leadership change comes as shipowners face mounting pressure to demonstrate cyber resilience, not just plan for it. IACS E26, the new cybersecurity standard for ships, has exposed a critical gap: while most operators have cyber plans on paper, far fewer can prove those plans work consistently across mixed fleets. “IACS E26 has made that gap impossible to ignore,” Kempley said. “It effectively splits fleets into ships designed for cyber and ships that were not.”
Why shipowners now demand a single cybersecurity dashboard
CyberOwl’s platform currently processes more than 750 million security events per day from vessels underway, a figure that underscores the scale of the challenge. The company’s recent partnership with Anglo-Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, which standardised cybersecurity monitoring across 720 vessels for over 100 shipowners, highlights the growing demand for integrated solutions. “Shipowners are now asking us for one place to see cyber risk across a fleet and one team to act on it,” said Antonio Cassidy, CyberOwl’s new Director of Services.
The shift reflects broader industry trends. As vessels become more connected, operators want cybersecurity systems that integrate seamlessly with existing onboard technology rather than adding complexity. Kempley’s appointment aligns with this priority, as CyberOwl focuses on three key areas: expanding managed security services, building integrations to unify operational security, and deepening operational technology (OT) security capabilities.
Reflecting on the state of maritime cyber security, Kempley’s leadership, CyberOwl will also expand its network of partnerships. The company already collaborates with Anglo-Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, AST Networks, The Swedish Club, and Waterway IT, with three additional partnerships set to be announced soon. The Swedish Club’s collaboration, for example, brings threat intelligence to around 1,000 insured vessels, further extending CyberOwl’s reach.
What’s next for maritime cybersecurity under Kempley
The leadership team has been bolstered with industry veterans to support CyberOwl’s growth. Antonio Cassidy, formerly of Pen Test Partners, joins as Director of Services to scale the company’s managed security operations. Richard Wagner, expanding his role as Global Head of Sales of Sales, will double the sales team and target new markets, supported by Dennis Teo, who brings experience from Satcom Global, Inmarsat Maritime, and Wilhelmsen Group.
Fariza Mohamedsha steps up as Head of Product, leading efforts to extend OT security coverage and simplify compliance evidence for standards like IACS E26 and NIST. Meanwhile, Sam Barrow, with over 25 years’ experience in marketing, joins as Head of Marketing to expand CyberOwl’s thought leadership and sector education.
Kempley will outline his vision at DNV’s event during SMM in Hamburg (September 2026), where he will host a fireside discussion with Matthias Becker of Anglo-Anglo-Eastern Ship Management. The event will provide a platform to discuss the operational challenges of scaling cybersecurity across thousands of vessels, a task Cassidy describes as “an operations problem before it is a technology problem.”
For shipowners, the stakes are clear. With IACS E26 compliance audits looming, the ability to demonstrate cyber resilience across entire fleets is no longer optional. CyberOwl’s expanded leadership team and strategic priorities position the company to address this need, offering a unified layer for operational security that integrates with existing systems rather than replacing them. As Kempley put it, “Closing that gap is the defining problem of the next three years.”
The industry’s response will be closely watched, particularly as CyberOwl’s platform continues to process millions of security events daily. For operators, the message is simple: cybersecurity is no longer a standalone concern but a core component of vessel operations, demanding reliability, scalability, and seamless integration.
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