It’s hardly a secret that cargo thefts in the US are soaring, driven, according to logistics security firm CargoNet, by rapid growth in the involvement of organized crime and new kinds of fraud used to steal loads. (See More Bad News on US Cargo Theft.)

Supply Chain Digest Says... Criminals are increasingly using cyber tactics to impersonate drivers, falsify load documents, exploit digital load boards and reroute shipments. These tech-driven schemes are harder to detect — and far more costly. What do you say? Click here to send us your comments

In response, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) has just released a framework it says can help shippers, carriers and brokers fight back against the growing and increasingly sophisticated threat of digitally enabled cargo theft.

NMFTA says the new “Cybersecurity Cargo Crime Reduction Framework” is an actionable guide for shippers, carriers, third-party logistics providers and brokers that It outlines key steps parties can take to reduce cargo theft risk.

That includes a major emphasis on three key pillars of success: spotting red flags, layered security and collaboration among various parties.

NMFTA also made clear the framework was developed using a collaborative approach across the different stakeholders.

Further commenting on the three pillars, NMTFA noted red flags such as fake carrier profiles or spoofed dispatch communications. It also describes using layered defenses across telematics, authentication and personnel training. The final pillar of defense against cargo theft involves collaboration with trusted partners to track threats and report incidents – which often doesn’t happen even in today’s environment.

The NMTFA guideline also talks about the concept of “convergence” across cybersecurity, operational security and physical security. NMFTA notes that any one of those alone can’t solve the problem. For example, a company can have the best gates, guards and more in terms of physical security, but loads are still going to be taken if the other two areas are sub-par.

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“Directly or indirectly, virtually all trucking companies are victims of cargo theft. Either they are victims of crime, or they are spending so much money to defend against being targeted that they are still victims,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said on a hearing on the subject on Capital Hill not long ago.

“Cargo theft is no longer confined to stolen trailers or broken seals,” said Joe Ohr, chief operating officer for NMFTA,said in conjunction with the release of the new framework, adding that. “Criminals are increasingly using cyber tactics to impersonate drivers, falsify load documents, exploit digital load boards and reroute shipments. These tech-driven schemes are harder to detect — and far more costly.”

The framework came about due in part to the recognition that overall cybersecurity is closely tied to cargo security, NMFTA notes.

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