Q MICROWAVE’s Post

Recently there has been unprecedented growth in the use of #satellites and low earth orbit (#LEO) #constellations for various purposes such as communication, navigation, and observation of the earth’s surface. As our reliance on these #spaceassets increases, so does the risk of #cyberattacks. #Hackers increasingly target these assets to disrupt critical services and cause damage for gain by blackmale or national gain. Satellites are vulnerable to cyber attacks as they become more interconnected. They offer more potential targets for hackers by the weakest link. In addition, the fact that satellites are often located in space makes them difficult to physically secure. Historically Space assets were mostly either unprotected or had minimal protection against cyber-attack. For example, the Iridium satellite network that was built in the 1980s, the messages are sent in plaintext format using the GSM standard, whose specification is completely public. Today, components, such as the #softwaredefinedradio can be brought off the shelf so that the hackers can eavesdrop on Iridium’s unencrypted messages.

🚀 The Future of Space Industry: $1 Trillion by 2040! 💫 1️⃣ The global space industry, valued at $350 billion, is set to skyrocket to $1 trillion by 2040, as estimated by Morgan Stanley. 2️⃣ Paul Liias, Head of Space at Estonia's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, highlights geopolitical tensions and growing satellite communication demands as major drivers. 3️⃣ Recent events, like the Ukraine conflict, emphasize the strategic role of space-based systems. 4️⃣ Ensuring cybersecurity for space systems is paramount. Developers must balance threat detection and affordable countermeasures. 5️⃣ Estonia, known for its cyber defense expertise, extends its focus to safeguarding space assets, including mission control centers and spacecraft. #SpaceIndustry #Cybersecurity #FutureSpace #EstoniaTech #SpaceInnovation 🚀 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gpzKJKFP

This is a great article on how to secure a LEO Satellite Network from the “ground up” by our CIO Charles Vaillancourt. These types of measures described here are fundamental to how we are approaching Telesat Lightspeed.

[US Military Project Aims To Prevent Hackers Targeting Satellites And Recognizes Rising Threat Of Cyberattacks in Space] The US military recently launched a groundbreaking initiative to strengthen ties with the commercial space industry. The aim is to integrate commercial equipment into military space operations, including satellites and other hardware. This would enhance cybersecurity for military satellites. As space becomes more important to the world’s critical infrastructure, the risk increases that hostile nation states will deploy cyber attacks on important satellites and other space infrastructure. Targets would include spy satellites or military communications satellites, but commercial spacecraft too. The US Department of Defense believes its new partnership, called Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR), would enhance US national security and the country’s competitive advantage in space. It would go some way beyond the relationship between government and private contractor that already exists. In some cases, the commercial sector has advanced rapidly beyond government capabilities. This situation exists in numerous countries with a space capability and may apply in certain areas in the US too. The governments of some nation states are therefore confronted with a choice. They could utilize bespoke systems for protecting their satellites, even though these may be outdated, or they could use other commercial – and potentially more advanced – “off-the-shelf” components. However, the commercial hardware may be less well understood in terms of its vulnerabilities to cyber attacks. Nevertheless, the US military believes that CASR will give it advanced strategic capabilities, and that potential risks can be minimized by actively avoiding over reliance on any single commercial entity. By bridging the gap between different sectors and disciplines, the course fostered an all-round, multidisciplinary approach to space cybersecurity. Executives were able to gain a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of various systems and the potential vulnerabilities that can arise. This not only enriched the learning experience but also encouraged participants to think outside the box and explore new strategies for mitigating cyber threats in space. Source: https://lnkd.in/e5EcWW_Z #galaxyaerosgh #space #spaceexploration #SpaceNews

As the number of #LEO satellites continues to grow, the potential to face #cyberthreats escalates with every launch. In the race to build out space-based mesh networks for early provider advantage, security may be overlooked. It will only take one successful breach to potentially disrupt an entire global constellation. In the following thought leadership commentary just published by C4ISRNET, Telesat CIO Charles Vaillancourt shares how to help secure the LEO #satellite environment from the very beginning. https://bit.ly/3vpAEUC

🌌 ❄ 🌕 📡 From disabling lunar settlements to hijacking satellites, cyber threats in space are real. A DDoS attack this week disabled electronic door locks across a major lunar settlement, trapping dozens of people indoors and locking out many more in lethal cold. The recent NSF-funded study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive cybersecurity measures to prevent such catastrophic events. #CyberSecurity #SpaceExploration #Innovation #FutureTech

🖥 Last summer, JAXA: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency was hit by a #cyberattack. Details here 👇 📰 Firstly reported this autumn by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, the security breach was discovered when law enforcement authorities alerted Japan's space agency that its systems were compromised. ⚠ Confirming the infiltration, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan Hirokazu Matsuno revealed in a press conference that the attackers gained access to the agency's Active Directory (AD) server, a crucial component overseeing JAXA's network operations. This server likely contains critical information like employee credentials, significantly increasing the breach's potential impact. ⛔ Although no data leak linked to the JAXA breach has been confirmed, a JAXA official expressed concerns, stating, "As long as the AD server was hacked, it was very likely that most of the information was visible. This is a very serious situation." However, a spokesperson said that the information the hackers accessed did not include anything important for rocket and satellite operations. 💬 "There was a possibility of unauthorized access by exploiting the vulnerability of network equipment," the spokesperson at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said, declining to elaborate on details such as when the attack took place. ⏱ The space agency learned of the possibility of unauthorised access after receiving information from an external organisation and conducting an internal investigation, the spokesperson said, declining to identify the organisation's name. 🎯 The agency was also a target when Japanese defense-related companies suffered large-scale cyber-attacks in 2016 and 2017. In April 2021, the Metropolitan Police Department concluded that a hacker group under the direction of the Chinese military was the source of those cyber-attacks. 🔍 In response to the incident, JAXA is currently working with government cybersecurity experts and law enforcement in an ongoing investigation to determine the extent of the security compromise. The investigation is ongoing, the spokesperson said. SOURCES: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eCaqRQMa 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g6Y9ZG4n 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d_bra-h4

Cybersecurity Challenges in Space Exploration This articles delves into the cybersecurity challenges that pose threats to both current and future space exploration endeavors. Beyond concerns regarding bad actors targeting satellites through methods like jamming, spoofing, and data hijacking, there exists the looming potential for hackers to compromise critical spacecraft systems such as life support, navigation, and propulsion. Additionally, breaches jeopardizing communication between ground stations and their corresponding space assets are conceivable, along with interference with the constant data streams linking satellites with public and private entities. Sylvester Kaczmarek, the author of the article, advocates for several strategies aimed at mitigating these cyber threats in space, including the utilization of AI models to predict and thwart attacks proactively, implementation of encryption methods resilient against quantum attacks, and fostering international collaboration to establish harmonized regulations across nations. https://lnkd.in/grytHFxm #cybersecurity #cybersecurityinspace

In light of the increasing cybersecurity threats to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks, as outlined in C4ISRNET's recent article, what strategies do you think are most critical for ensuring the security of these vital systems? Specifically, how can we balance the rapid deployment of LEO satellites with the imperative need for robust cybersecurity measures? It's an interesting conundrum!

Quantum satellites, representing the next generation of space systems, must adopt measures to counter innovative threats, according to a quantum cryptography expert who spoke on Wednesday. Ayesha Khalid, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Secure Information Technologies at Queen's University Belfast, presented a security solution for satellites against quantum-based threats at the 2024 HackTheon Joint Conference in Sejong, South Korea. The lecturer emphasized that much of the national infrastructure depends on space systems. For example, satellites become particularly crucial when the ground station network is unavailable due to natural disasters or war. To protect nations during crises, space systems need a lifespan of 5 to 10 years longer than electronic systems on the ground. As of 2022, more than 5,000 satellites orbit the Earth, with most using low Earth orbit (LEO) because its proximity to Earth allows for low latency and almost real-time communication. Although a significant amount of sensitive information is communicated through quantum cryptography in satellites, the rapid advancement of quantum computing technology has made it possible to break encryption algorithms. Khalid cautioned that space systems are vulnerable to cyber threats like quantum-based attacks or hacking, which could potentially damage satellites and compromise confidential communications between satellites and ground stations. Khalid pointed out that this is why post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is necessary for satellite communications. PQC is a technology designed to prevent quantum computing from easily decrypting communicated information. “The successful breach of space systems poses a high cost and high impact, leaving national assets vulnerable,” said the expert. “Therefore, to deter potential attacks and enhance our resilience, the next-generation space systems should prioritize installing PQC,” Khalid emphasized. ⬇ READ MORE ⬇ #space #security #satellites #quantum #PQC #cyberattacks #Sejong #HackTheon https://lnkd.in/gUnDz66c