Gates, yard systems and carrier data kept running when the vessel window opens

Port & Terminal Operators IT Services

A terminal can’t make up lost hours: when the gate system or the terminal operating system goes dark, trucks back up onto public roads, vessel work slips and demurrage clocks keep running.

Talk to Us About Port & Terminal Operators IT 888.792.8080

SOC 2 Aligned

Responsive Support

20+ Years Experience

At a glance

Your landside operation depends on appointment portals, OCR and camera portals, TWIC verification at the gate, and a steady stream of EDI messages from shipping lines, brokers and rail partners.

We run and secure the IT behind that operation for container, breakbulk, bulk and liquid terminals and the port authorities that host them.

Crane, conveyor and other equipment controls stay with the OEM; we secure the networks and accounts that touch them. We work with operators in Texas and nationwide.

IT that keeps the gate moving, boxes released right, the yard in sync.

Gate lanes, release numbers and carrier EDI protected, so cargo leaves with the right driver and the right paperwork.

Terminal operations

Every container leaves on a data trail

A box doesn’t move until the data agrees: the line has released it, customs has no hold, the trucker has an appointment and a valid credential. That chain runs through your terminal operating system, your portals and dozens of outside parties. When any link is forged or fails, cargo stalls or walks out the gate with the wrong person.

01 · The pressure

Vessel windows, truck queues and holds

Berth windows are fixed by the lines, so yard planning, labor orders and equipment moves all have to land on schedule. Landside, truckers expect their appointment slot to work and their release to clear at the kiosk. Behind the scenes, EDI messages update container status, customs holds and rail cut-offs all day. A few hours of downtime means trucks idling on the access road, angry carriers and storage disputes that take weeks to settle.

Berth windows don’t wait for IT recovery
Appointment slots promised to every trucker
Customs holds and releases arrive by EDI

02 · How it breaks

Stolen release numbers and shared portal logins

Cargo thieves don’t need to cut a fence if they can get a valid release number or PIN. They phish a trucking dispatcher, a broker or your own customer service mailbox, then send a driver with forged paperwork. Portal accounts get shared across a whole drayage company and never closed. Gate PCs run an old OS because the OCR vendor never approved the update. A flat network lets a compromised office laptop reach the systems that talk to the cranes.

Phished mailboxes leak release numbers and PINs
Shared drayage logins nobody ever turns off
Gate and OCR PCs left unpatched for years

03 · What we change

Named accounts, segmented gates, watched EDI

We move portal and TOS access to named accounts with MFA and set expiry on trucker and broker logins. Gate lanes, OCR portals, camera networks and access control sit in their own segments, with only the traffic they need allowed through. Release and status changes from unusual sources raise an alert. EDI endpoints get proper credentials and monitoring. Where equipment controls are involved, we fence the boundary and coordinate changes with the crane or controls vendor.

MFA and expiry on every outside portal account
Gate, camera and access control networks separated
Alerts on odd release and status changes

04 · The after

A gate you can vouch for

When a shipping line or beneficial cargo owner asks how you stop fraudulent pickups, you have an answer with logs behind it. Your Facility Security Officer can show the cyber side of the facility security plan without scrambling. Gate PCs get patched on a schedule the OCR vendor has agreed to. If something does go wrong, the gate fails over to a documented manual process instead of a parking lot full of trucks.

Pickup controls you can show carriers and cargo owners
Cyber evidence ready for the facility security plan
A tested manual fallback for gate outages

Systems we keep running

Navis N4
Tideworks Mainsail
CyberLogitec OPUS Terminal
Advent eModal
Genetec Security Center
Microsoft 365

Rules we help you meet

MTSA facility security plans (33 CFR Part 105)
USCG Cybersecurity in the Marine Transportation System rule (33 CFR Part 101, Subpart F)
TWIC requirements (33 CFR 101.514)
CTPAT

What We Offer

Comprehensive solutions tailored for Houston-area businesses

Gate & Appointment System Support

Truck appointment portals, kiosks, OCR portals and lane PCs are where landside throughput lives or dies. We manage the servers and endpoints behind them, coordinate patching with the gate vendor, monitor lane hardware for failures and keep a documented manual fallback ready. When a lane PC dies at shift change, there’s a spare image and a known procedure instead of a phone tree.

Container Release Fraud Controls

Fictitious pickups usually start with stolen release numbers, PINs or portal credentials. We protect the mailboxes and portal accounts that carry them, require MFA for anyone who can view or change releases, alert on logins from unexpected places, and help you tighten how release data is shared with lines, brokers and truckers so a forwarded email isn’t enough to walk a box.

Carrier, Customs & Rail EDI

BAPLIE, COPRAR, CODECO and status messages flow between your TOS, shipping lines, customs brokers and rail partners all day. We secure the endpoints and credentials behind those connections, monitor for failures and unexpected sources, and keep a record of who connects to what. When a partner rotates a certificate or changes an endpoint, you hear about it before the yard does.

Access Control & Camera Networks

TWIC readers, badge systems, license plate readers and camera networks support your facility security plan, but they also run on servers and switches that need care. We segment them away from office IT, keep their management interfaces off the open network, and handle accounts and patching on the IT side while the security integrator owns the hardware and reader configuration.

Equipment Boundary Security

Ship-to-shore cranes, RTGs, straddle carriers and conveyor systems carry their own controls and remote support links. We don’t reconfigure those controls. We put firewalls and monitored jump access at the boundary, inventory the vendor connections that exist, and coordinate any change inside the equipment with the OEM or controls engineer so availability and warranties stay intact.

Facility Cyber Plan Evidence

MTSA facilities now carry Coast Guard cybersecurity requirements alongside their facility security plans. We help your FSO and Cybersecurity Officer build the IT asset inventory, run account reviews and vulnerability scans, track training and write incident procedures. You get organized records rather than a binder assembled the week before an inspection. How the rule applies to your facility is a call for your FSO and counsel.

Why Choose LayerLogix?

Serving businesses throughout the Greater Houston area including Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Atlanta, Nationwide.

Fewer Fraudulent Pickups

Named accounts, MFA and release-change alerts make stolen credentials much less useful to cargo thieves. Customer service staff know what a suspicious release request looks like, who to call to confirm it, and when to refuse a pickup change outright.

Gate Lanes That Stay Open

Monitored lane hardware, vendor-approved patching and spare images mean a failed kiosk or OCR PC turns into a short swap instead of a lane closure that ripples through every appointment slot that afternoon and leaves truckers calling dispatch to ask what happened.

Straight Answers for Partners

Shipping lines, cargo owners and port authorities increasingly ask how terminals protect data and cargo. You can describe your controls specifically and back them with logs, inventories and procedures instead of a generic security statement.

Equipment Left to Its Experts

Boundary controls reduce the chance that an office compromise reaches cranes or conveyors, while OEM coordination keeps equipment supported. You get less exposure without anyone improvising inside systems that move heavy loads over people, and every boundary change is written down for the next shift.

Our Process

We walk the gate, yard office and server rooms with your operations and security leads and map every system that moves container data.

Portal accounts, EDI connections and vendor remote access are inventoried, including the trucker and broker logins nobody has reviewed in years.

We segment gate, camera and access control networks, and put monitored jump access in front of equipment vendor connections.

MFA, account expiry and release-change alerting go live, with customer service trained on spotting forged pickup requests.

Together with your FSO we document procedures, run a gate outage drill and organize the evidence the facility cyber plan needs.

Ongoing, we monitor endpoints and EDI health, patch on vendor-agreed schedules and review outside accounts every quarter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do thieves use release numbers to steal containers?▼

A release number or PIN tells the gate that a specific trucker is allowed to collect a specific box. Criminals get those details by compromising a mailbox at a trucking company, broker or terminal, or by logging into a portal with stolen or shared credentials. Then they dispatch a driver with matching paperwork. Fixing it takes several layers: MFA on portals and mail, named accounts with expiry, alerts when release details change or are viewed from odd locations, and a call-back rule when someone asks to reassign a pickup.

Does a TWIC card cover access to our IT systems?▼

No. TWIC is a credential for unescorted access to secure areas of a regulated facility. It says nothing about who should log into your TOS, gate system or appointment portal. Those systems need their own named accounts, strong authentication and regular access reviews. We often link the two processes, so when someone’s facility access is pulled, their system accounts get reviewed the same day. TWIC reader hardware and its configuration stay with your security integrator.

Our gate vendor says we can’t patch the lane PCs. What now?▼

That’s common, and it shouldn’t mean the PCs run unprotected forever. We start by asking the vendor which updates they’ve tested and push for a regular cadence. Meanwhile we isolate lane PCs in their own network segment, block internet access they don’t need, lock down USB ports and monitor them closely. When a critical vulnerability lands, we work through the vendor’s approval process and keep a spare, current image ready so a failed update doesn’t close a lane.

Can you work with the stevedores and tenants on our property?▼

Yes. Many terminals share space and networks with stevedoring companies, warehouse tenants, rail operators and government inspectors. We set clear boundaries: each party gets its own network segment and accounts, shared services like Wi-Fi and cameras are separated, and connections between parties are documented and limited. Port authorities often want a common baseline across tenants, and we can help draft one that’s realistic for smaller operators to meet without buying a second IT department.

What happens to the gate if the terminal operating system goes down?▼

Without a plan, trucks stop and the queue grows fast. We help you define a manual or degraded mode in advance: which moves continue, how releases and holds get confirmed, how gate transactions are recorded for later entry, and who makes the call to switch. We also make sure backups of the TOS database and its supporting servers are tested, so recovery is measured in a known window rather than guessed at during the outage itself.

Do you only support large container terminals?▼

No. Bulk, breakbulk, liquid and Ro-Ro terminals, inland ports and port authorities all run gates, scales, access control and customer portals that need the same care. Most monitoring, account management and documentation work happens remotely, so location isn’t a barrier. Hands-on jobs like replacing a lane PC or installing a firewall in a gatehouse are done by our engineers near our offices or by a vetted local technician working under our engineer’s direction.

Do you provide Port & Terminal Operators IT Services in Houston and nearby areas?▼

Yes. LayerLogix is based in the Greater Houston area and delivers port & terminal operators IT services to businesses across Houston and the surrounding communities, including The Woodlands, Spring, Katy, Sugar Land, Conroe, Cypress, and Pearland. For most Houston-area clients we can be on-site the same day when something needs hands-on attention, and our help desk is available during business hours, with after-hours emergency support. Call 713-571-2390 to check coverage for your specific address.

What does Port & Terminal Operators IT Services cost for a Houston business?▼

Pricing depends on your size and what you need, so we do not publish a one-size-fits-all number — but Houston businesses generally pay a flat, predictable monthly fee rather than surprise hourly bills. We start with a free, no-obligation assessment of your current setup, then give you a clear quote in plain English with no hidden costs. That way you know exactly what you are getting and what it costs before you commit.

Ready to Get Started?

Contact LayerLogix today for a free consultation. We serve businesses throughout Houston, Dallas, Austin, and the surrounding Greater Houston area.

Schedule Free Consultation Call 888.792.8080