Hoyer addresses cyber-security

HOLD ON TO DATA

SECURITY • LOGISTICS SERVICE PROVIDERS HAVE BECOME USED TO SAFETY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS BUT, AS HOYER SHOWS, THERE IS A GROWING NEED TO BE ALERT TO CYBER-SECURITY

THE HOYER GROUP says it had a “highly successful year” in terms of safety performance in 2020, not only exceeding the targets it had set itself to reduce incidents but also receiving above-average ratings in audits under the Safety and Quality Assessment for Sustainability (SQAS) programme and in recertifications under ISO 9001.

“Hoyer sets itself high targets and follows a philosophy in which even near misses result in detailed investigation, analysis and appropriate risk prevention measures,” notes Mark Binns, member of the group operating board with SHEQ responsibilities. As a leading provider of international logistics solutions for liquid products of the chemical, gas, petroleum and food industries, the company attaches particular importance to safety and security

CYBER-SECURITY IS AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT when handling and transporting such sensitive goods. That focus has delivered a 54 per cent reduction in the level of serious incidents in non-transport operations and a 30 per cent fall in transport incidents over the past ten years.

“The complexity of the logistics business, the spectrum of processes and the number of different interfaces in an international network like ours represent a special challenge,” comments CEO Björn Schniederkötter. “Uniform standards and systems of operation designed to maintain and continuously improve the safe and secure actions of all employees are fundamental.”

EYES ON THE SYSTEMS During 2020, however, the usual safety audits and recertifications were joined by a new task: achieving certification for Hoyer’s information security management system (ISMS) according to the ISO/IEC 27001 standard. Dr Peter Jürging, head of information technology at Hoyer Group, explains: “Hoyer [through ISMS] proactively addresses the constantly changing security-relevant challenges of global networking, driven by the progress of digitalisation and the associated services.”

Jürging’s specific focus is on protecting the confidentiality, availability and immutability (integrity) of information. To attain these protective goals, Hoyer carries out regular risk analyses, from which it derives and implements measures appropriate to the current threats, helping to protect and maximise business continuity. IT security management is technologically and organisationally implemented throughout the entire Hoyer Group worldwide.

“Auditing of the information security management systems in accordance with ISO/IEC 27001 concluded with an excellent result, and confirms the high security and quality standard of the Hoyer Group,” the company states.

That level of performance is the benchmark for the group, which consistently out-performs its peers across industry. In its latest SQAS verifications, it came out well ahead of average in chemical transport, gas transport, workshops, tank cleaning and depot services and on-site logistics. In the mineral oil business, its customers carry out their own audits and in international foodstuff logistics it has achieved recertification to ISO 22000, illustrating its commitment to food safety and security.

“The Hoyer Group achieves very good ISO 9001 certification attestations in a global context and inspires confidence with various best practices,” the company states. “Among other things, the speed and quality of the response by top management to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company’s exemplary internal management, the dealings with partners as well as service providers during the crisis and the intensive internal audits were recognised in the past certification cycle.”

In addition, Hoyer says, ISO auditors particularly emphasised the IT department’s systematic procedure and the implementation and safeguarding of very high IT-related security standards in relation to the progressive digitisation of the company and its assets. www.hoyer-group.com