# Use Coast Guard risk groups to determine required maritime-facility measures > Use 33 CFR 105.253 -- Maritime Security: Facilities to review this narrow operational decision without extending the source beyond its stated scope. - Canonical URL: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/use-coast-guard-risk-groups-to-determine-required-maritime-facility-measures/ - Publisher: Detection Systems & Engineering (DSE Security) - Author: DSE Security Editorial Team - Published: 2026-08-27T12:11:11+00:00 - Modified: 2026-08-27T13:09:37+00:00 - Last reviewed by DSE: 2026-08-26 - Resource type: Playbook - DSE priority: Advisory - Topics: Access Control, Cybersecurity, Video Surveillance - Reading time: 3 minutes ## What you need to know Use 33 CFR 105.253 -- 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 105.253 -- 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 Keep this document to one review outcome: Use Coast Guard risk groups to determine required maritime-facility measures. Only the official source and traced locations below supply facts. Confirm applicability before acting. ## Source fact: The official [33 CFR 105.253 — Maritime Security: Facilities](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-105.253) from U.S. Coast Guard via eCFR supports the following bounded statements: - Under 33 CFR 105, beginning May 8, 2029, facilities that handle Certain Dangerous Cargo in bulk without transferring it to or from a vessel are in TWIC Risk Group A. The research record locates this support at 33 CFR 105.253(a)(3), read with 33 CFR 105.253(a) (eCFR anchor p-105.253(a)(3)). - Under 33 CFR 105, facilities may move between Risk Groups as handled material or vessel types change, and the FSP must explain transition timing and movement between higher- and lower-group requirements. The research record locates this support at 33 CFR 105.253(b) (eCFR anchor p-105.253(b)). Keep the evidence boundary at these traced claims. They support a review of access control, video, intrusion detection, communications, supporting facilities, operators, and documented response paths; 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. No current deployment state or change approval follows from the source alone. Validate identity, Windows DNS where used, time, networks, power, life-safety systems, vendors, and monitoring personnel, and treat examples or options as conditional inputs rather than defaults. ## Applicability questions - For source statement 1 at 33 CFR 105.253(a)(3), read with 33 CFR 105.253(a) (eCFR anchor p-105.253(a)(3)), which observable configuration, record, or test can confirm applicability here? - For source statement 2 at 33 CFR 105.253(b) (eCFR anchor p-105.253(b)), which observable configuration, record, or test can confirm applicability here? - Which owner can attest to the recorded state of access control, video, intrusion detection, communications, supporting facilities, operators, and documented response paths, including exceptions? - What baseline for identity, Windows DNS where used, time, networks, power, life-safety systems, vendors, and monitoring personnel 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 access control, video, intrusion detection, communications, supporting facilities, operators, and documented response paths, 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, Windows DNS where used, time, networks, power, life-safety systems, vendors, and monitoring personnel 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 105.253(a)(3), read with 33 CFR 105.253(a) (eCFR anchor p-105.253(a)(3)); 33 CFR 105.253(b) (eCFR anchor p-105.253(b)). Favor asset and firmware inventories, configuration exports, event tests, inspections, alarm response records, and maintenance findings, 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 105.253 — Maritime Security: Facilities](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-105.253) — U.S. Coast Guard via eCFR ## Primary reference - Name: 33 CFR 105.253 -- Maritime Security: Facilities - Authority: www.ecfr.gov - URL: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-105.253 - Source publication date: Not stated by the source ## Citation and use Preferred citation: “Use Coast Guard risk groups to determine required maritime-facility measures,” DSE Security, https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/use-coast-guard-risk-groups-to-determine-required-maritime-facility-measures/ 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.