The new security regime for international shipping entered into force in July 2004. The Code takes the approach that ensuring the security of ships and port facilities is basically a risk management activity and that to determine what security measures are appropriate, an assessment of the risk must be made in each particular case.
The risk management concept is embodied in the Code through a number of minimum functional security requirements for ships and port facilities. For ships, these requirements include: ship security plan, ship security officers, company security officers, and certain on-board equipment.
In order to announce the threat at a port facility or for a ship, the Contracting Government will set the appropriate security level. Security levels 1, 2, and 3 correspond to normal, medium and high threat situations respectively.