Activu in the News Press Releases Case Studies Events

Seaports are the front door of the U.S. economy.

They move roughly 2.3 billion tons of freight every year and handle more than 40% of all U.S. goods by value.1,2 When ports experience disruption—whether from crime, cyberattacks, or operational failures—the impact is felt nationwide and across global supply chains.

Vis/ability from Activu is built to help terminals operate safely, efficiently, and without interruption.

Our command center platform filters out the noise, elevates what matters, and provides continuous situational awareness so security teams can respond faster and with confidence.  

In 2024, U.S. ports contributed $311 Billion to the national GDP.

Recent Security Challenges at U.S. Seaports

August 2024

Port of Seattle cyberattack / ransomware breach

  • Snapshot: The Port oversees Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and all major maritime terminals
  • Incident:
    The Rhysida ransomware gang breached legacy IT systems, then demanded, and were refused, $6 million in Bitcoin.
  • Impact:
    The theft of ~3 TB of data, including personally identifying information (PII) of ~90,000 people. The intruders encrypted systems, shutting down websites, phone, emails, Wi-Fi, flight displays, parking systems, and baggage operations
  • Financial Loss:
    ongoing/undisclosed3

March-April 2025

Port Everglades Massive Cocaine Seizure

  • Snapshot: A major Florida seaport with routes from Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Panama Canal
  • Incident:
    A Joint operation involving USCG, FBI, DEA, DoD, and Homeland Security seized narcotics trafficked from Colombia and Ecuador
  • Impact:
    ~90,000 lbs of cocaine and 3,880 lbs marijuana4,5
  • Street Value:
    ~$500+ million6

November 2025

Port of Los Angeles Fire

  • Snapshot: One of the busiest deep-water seaports in the U.S. and Western Hemisphere
  • Incident:
    A multi-day container ship fire trigged by an electrical fault that spread through cargo—some of it hazardous
  • Impact:
    Required ~200 responders including firefighters, Coast Guard, LA Port Police, and LAPD7
  • Financial Loss:
    Est. Damages: $50-$150 million

How Modern Technology is Strengthening Port Security 


AI Surveillance & Analytics

AI enhanced video, biometrics, LPR, and object tracking to identity unusual behavior, verify identities, and monitor vehicles, cranes, and containers in real time.


Drones & Autonomous Patrol Systems

Provide 24/7 aerial perimeter coverage, especially in hard-to-reach places.


IoT Sensors & Smart Port Platforms

Detect tampering, track container movement, and support predictive maintenance for critical infrastructure.


Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) Systems

X-ray and imaging tools quickly scan containers for weapons, explosives, and contraband without opening them.


Cybersecurity Hardening

Encrypted networks, automated threat detection, and network segmentation help unauthorized access and protect mission-critical operations.


Blockchain for Cargo Integrity

Delivers tamper-proof cargo records, reducing fraud and improving visibility across global supply chains.


vis/ability from Activu

Encrypted networks, automated threat detection, and network segmentation help unauthorized access and protect mission-critical operations.

Visability Creates Clarity in Critical Moments 

When an incident occurs, security teams shouldn’t waste time hunting for information.

Visability delivers a single, unified view of all critical data—including drones, sensors, LPR hits, facial recognition alerts, NII output, and more—displayed on automated, customizable video wall systems and dashboards.

Visability automatically activates a real-time incident dashboard tailored to the situation. Every operator and stakeholder sees the same live data at the same time, enabling a proactive, unified response. Ports can also instantly share information with outside agencies such as police, fire, FBI, EOCs, the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and others.

Empower Your Security Team with visability

With visability, your team isn’t just reacting—they’re staying ahead of threats. From the first alert, operators gain the clarity, speed, and intelligence needed to act decisively.

Speed.
Accuracy.
Confidence. 

That’s the future of port security and operations centers.

Ready to Modernize Your Port’s Control Room? 

Contact us or request a demo to see how vis/ability from Activu delivers next-generation situational awareness and operational resilience.

For more information

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Public Safety Case Studies

  1. NOAA Coast ↩︎
  2. 2024 U.S. Port & Maritime Industry, Economic Contribution Technial Report, Ernst & Young ↩︎
  3. ↩︎
  4. Coast Guard offloads over $517.5 million in illicit drugs interdicted in Eastern Pacific Ocean > United States Coast Guard News > Press Releases ↩︎
  5. The US Coast Guard seized $510 million worth of drugs from smugglers, including a narco-sub. See photos of the busts, Business Insider ↩︎
  6. Coast Guard offloads 48,000 pounds of seized drugs worth $500 million at South Florida port, cbsnews.com ↩︎
  7. Update: Unified Command responds to cargo container ship fire at Port of Los Angeles, United States Coast Guard News ↩︎

By Corporate Enterprise Insight, Insight, press on homepage, Thought Leadership, Transportation Insight

About Activu

Vis/ability makes any information visible, collaborative, and proactive for people tasked with monitoring critical operations. Users of the platform see, share, and respond to events in real time, with context, to improve incident response, decision-making, and management. Activu software, solutions, and services benefit the daily lives of billions of people around the globe. Founded in 1983 as the first U.S.-based company to develop command center visualization technology, more than 1,300 control rooms depend on Activu. activu.com.