Supply chain analytics for enhancing the maritime security

Seaports across the world can be a frequent target for illegal activities such as contraband, weapon smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, piracy, and terrorist attacks. Despite the increasing risk of those illegal activities, many ports are not equipped to deal with unforeseen security breaches. Although the use of X‐ray scanning technology for cargo inspection has been on the rise due to its effectiveness in detecting potential security breaches, it alone cannot protect the port and its surrounding areas from illegal activities. To maximise the full benefit of X‐ray based cargo inspection through enhanced maritime logistics visibility, we propose supply chain analytics which can not only add business intelligence to the cargo inspection process, but also guide the port authority to make informed decisions regarding security protocols. This decision‐aid tool is designed to improve port security and productivity by systematically gathering, storing, analysing, and updating big data related to cargo movement, port infrastructure, and ocean‐going vessel traffic. This paper is one of the first to embed supply chain analytics within the maritime security system and gauge its usefulness for enhancing maritime security in global supply chain operations.