Advocating for the Need of Space Cybersecurity.
Considering today’s critical threat of hackers, and the growing need for increased cybersecurity in space, it was only a matter of time before satellite hacking became a genuine concern for global space organizations.
The short answer is yes, satellites, like any technology operated through a network, can be hacked. A hacked satellite can predict a variety of dire consequences for stakeholders, from financial losses to breaches in military intelligence. As the need for space cybersecurity becomes more prescient, the government, businesses, and the military must focus on protecting civilians, their assets, and military personnel through innovations in satellite and space cybersecurity.
Satellite Vulnerabilities
As of 2022, the Earth’s orbital sphere is accommodating a staggering total of 8,261 satellites, with 4,852 of these remaining active. Moreover, 2021 witnessed the launch of 155 satellites, of which 149 achieved successful deployment.
Given the proliferation of satellites, manufacturers, particularly those engaged in the production of small CubeSats, depend on off-the-shelf technologies to mitigate costs. This cost-driven approach has led to a reliance on readily available components, thereby expanding the attack surface and exacerbating the potential for vulnerabilities. The involvement of multiple manufacturers in assembling various satellite components amplifies potential risks, as hackers can exploit these off-the-shelf elements to discern potential points of compromise. Notably, many of these components rely on open-source technology, affording hackers the opportunity to surreptitiously insert backdoors and other vulnerabilities into a satellite’s software.
The launch of satellites into space compounds their susceptibility to vulnerabilities, as these missions entail the participation of diverse organizations and their associated equipment. With each additional vendor’s involvement, the likelihood of security risks and infiltration increases. Even after a satellite reaches its orbital destination, organizations frequently outsource command and data operations to third-party entities, thereby introducing further avenues for potential compromise.
Satellite Hacking
It is crucial to recognize that hacking satellites is not an elaborate, protracted, or exorbitantly expensive endeavor on the part of malicious hackers. Infiltrating a satellite can be as straightforward as waiting for a vulnerable CubeSat to pass overhead and transmitting a malicious command through specialized antennas.
Typically, satellites are controlled from ground stations, and these stations run the computers and software that house the vulnerabilities hackers potentially can exploit by sending malicious commands. Since many satellites also do not encrypt data, hackers can quickly access their systems.
Once inside a satellite’s system, hackers possess the capability to deactivate entire satellites denying access to their services. They could also inundate satellite signals, causing havoc within critical infrastructures such as electrical grids, water networks, and transportation systems.
Space Cybersecurity and the Safeguarding of Satellites
The vulnerability of compromised satellites poses an immense risk to our daily lives and national security. Consequently, SpiderOak is at the forefront of the effort to fortify space cybersecurity measures. While organizations confront mounting pressures to economize and expedite satellite production, it is imperative to recognize that cutting costs in the domain of space cybersecurity may ultimately result in more substantial long-term financial expenditures necessitated by the mitigation of compromised components or entire satellite systems.
SpiderOak’s OrbitSecure occupies an important role within the space cybersecurity sector by proactively incorporating stringent security protocols into satellite commands and data through the utilization of Zero-Trust encryption and secure data compartments (SDCs). The implementation of OrbitSecure’s secure data processing ensures that privileges are granted on a strictly need-to-know basis, thus enabling organizations to engage third-party or foreign ground stations for multi-level secure data sharing without threats of interception.
The scenario outlined may evoke images from science fiction, but the urgency of addressing cybersecurity in space escalates daily as hackers become increasingly emboldened.
