# Distinguish public access areas from secure areas at regulated maritime facilities > Use 33 CFR 105.106 -- Maritime Security: Facilities to review this narrow operational decision without extending the source beyond its stated scope. - Canonical URL: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/distinguish-public-access-areas-from-secure-areas-at-regulated-maritime-facilities/ - Publisher: Detection Systems & Engineering (DSE Security) - Author: DSE Security Editorial Team - Published: 2026-08-27T12:10:47+00:00 - Modified: 2026-08-27T13:09:38+00:00 - Last reviewed by DSE: 2026-08-26 - Resource type: Guide - DSE priority: Advisory - Topics: Access Control, Cybersecurity - Reading time: 3 minutes ## What you need to know Use 33 CFR 105.106 -- Maritime Security: Facilities to review this narrow operational decision without extending the source beyond its stated scope. ## Potentially affected Teams, systems, services, or facilities within the stated scope of 33 CFR 105.106 -- Maritime Security: Facilities ## DSE recommendation Compare the observed state with the cited official source, document applicability and exceptions, and test any approved change with rollback safeguards. ## Article Use this document to connect an official requirement or behavior to observable evidence: Distinguish public access areas from secure areas at regulated maritime facilities. Only the official source and traced locations below supply facts. Confirm applicability before acting. ## Source fact: The official [33 CFR 105.106 — Maritime Security: Facilities](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-105.106) from U.S. Coast Guard via eCFR supports the following bounded statements: - Under 33 CFR 105, a public access area is a defined space within a facility that is open to all persons and provides pedestrian access through the facility from public thoroughfares to the vessel. The research record locates this support at 33 CFR 105.106(b) (eCFR anchor p-105.106(b)). - Under 33 CFR 105, a facility serving ferries or passenger vessels certificated to carry more than 150 passengers, other than cruise ships, may designate an area within the facility as a public access area. The research record locates this support at 33 CFR 105.106(a) (eCFR anchor p-105.106(a)). Keep the evidence boundary at these traced claims. They support a review of credentials, readers, controllers, panels, door hardware, access decisions, monitoring, and life-safety interfaces; they do not support conclusions outside the source’s stated conditions. ## What the source does not establish Applies only to facilities within 33 CFR part 105 and the cited section. Confirm Coast Guard jurisdiction, the approved Facility Security Plan, the current MARSEC level, and any approved alternatives; this is not legal advice or a universal facility-design standard. The citation is not a substitute for observed state, authorization, compliance evidence, or dependency health. Examine identity sources, DNS where used, time, networks, power, fire systems, monitoring, and authorized operators before translating the source into an operational decision. ## Applicability questions - For source statement 1 at 33 CFR 105.106(b) (eCFR anchor p-105.106(b)), which observable configuration, record, or test can confirm applicability here? - For source statement 2 at 33 CFR 105.106(a) (eCFR anchor p-105.106(a)), which observable configuration, record, or test can confirm applicability here? - Which owner can attest to the recorded state of credentials, readers, controllers, panels, door hardware, access decisions, monitoring, and life-safety interfaces, including exceptions? - What baseline for identity sources, DNS where used, time, networks, power, fire systems, monitoring, and authorized operators must accompany the source-specific observation? - Which success, stop, and escalation criteria are written before testing begins? ## DSE recommendation: DSE recommends using the cited source as the evidence anchor for this decision. Anchor the review in the cited section and keep observation separate from interpretation. Record the source location, examined part of credentials, readers, controllers, panels, door hardware, access decisions, monitoring, and life-safety interfaces, observed and expected states, owner, and reason for deviation. For an approved change, define prerequisites, a limited test path, success and stop conditions, monitoring, and rollback. Check identity sources, DNS where used, time, networks, power, fire systems, monitoring, and authorized operators in design order. Protect credentials, keys, recovery material, personal data, and sensitive topology in evidence. ## Verification and evidence Evidence should let another reviewer reproduce this decision. Retain observations beside the traced locations 33 CFR 105.106(b) (eCFR anchor p-105.106(b)); 33 CFR 105.106(a) (eCFR anchor p-105.106(a)). Favor approved configuration exports, access-event tests, controller state, door inspections, alarm handling, and exception records, linked to stable identifiers, time, and operator. Keep before-state evidence, approval, test or change result, exceptions, and after-state evidence together. Use an approved lab, window, or nonproduction path for risky tests. Set a recheck trigger for version, architecture, dependency, vendor, incident, or ownership change. A check proves only what was observed. ## Official references - [33 CFR 105.106 — Maritime Security: Facilities](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-105.106) — U.S. Coast Guard via eCFR ## Primary reference - Name: 33 CFR 105.106 -- Maritime Security: Facilities - Authority: www.ecfr.gov - URL: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-105.106 - Source publication date: Not stated by the source ## Citation and use Preferred citation: “Distinguish public access areas from secure areas at regulated maritime facilities,” DSE Security, https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/distinguish-public-access-areas-from-secure-areas-at-regulated-maritime-facilities/ Publishing principles: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/dse-updates-editorial-methodology/ Usage and citation policy: https://update.dsesecurity.com/usage/ Copyright © 2026 Detection Systems & Engineering. All rights reserved.