Satellite networks rely on ground stations and control links for communications and navigation, so cyber controls must protect availability and commands.
Search across headline titles and summaries.
Background for this topic.
Satellites are spacecraft used for communications, navigation and timing, Earth observation, or scientific missions, together with their ground stations, control systems and radio links. Their security depends on more than the vehicle in orbit: mission software, supply chains, telemetry and command channels, and terrestrial networks are all part of the operational system. Availability and command integrity can be safety- or mission-critical, while some payloads handle sensitive communications or location data.
Material risks include unauthorized commands after compromise of a ground system, jamming or spoofing of radio signals, and vulnerabilities in onboard or ground software. Appropriate controls include authenticated and encrypted commands, strict separation of control networks, careful key management, signed and tested updates, and monitoring for abnormal telemetry or access. Operators also need vulnerability management and rehearsed recovery plans that account for limited patching opportunities, long communication delays, and the need to preserve safe operation if links or ground facilities are unavailable.
Weekly headline count for the current query.
Unit 42 Says Iranian Operators Target Aerospace and Government StaffPalo Alto Networks' Unit 42 said Iran-linked operators tied to Screening Serpens are using fake recruiting campaigns, cloned aerospace hiring portals and malware-laced job materials to infiltrate defense, satellite communications and government networks.
Satellites Will Be Newest Cyberwar FrontNow that space is becoming a battlefield, cyberwar will be waged there, experts predict, and the race is on to develop cyber defenses that can protect new satellite constellations from foreign cyber-warriors, online spies and even criminal hacker gangs.
Satellites Will Be Newest Cyberwar FrontNow that space is becoming a battlefield, cyberwar will be waged there, experts predict, and the race is on to develop cyber defenses that can protect new satellite constellations from foreign cyber-warriors, online spies and even criminal hacker gangs.
ORNL says portable detector kit can separate real GPS signals from fake ones even at equal strength GPS spoofing, which sends fake satellite-like signals, and GPS jamming, which drowns receivers in noise, are increasingly serious problems. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee have created what they say is the most effective system yet for detecting GPS interference, which could help blunt such attacks.…
The United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has sanctioned Xinbi, a Chinese-language cryptocurrency-based online marketplace that sells stolen data and satellite internet equipment to scam networks in Southeast Asia. [...]
No 1 Space Operations Squadron will get a persistent stare capability The Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to spend £17.5 million on a remotely-operated satellite monitoring facility in Cyprus, partly to protect the UK's secure communications system Skynet.…
Drone, satellite, and other data combined to monitor unwanted vessels The UK Home Office is spending up to £100 million on intelligence tech in part to tackle the so-called "small boats" issue of refugees and irregular immigrants coming across the English Channel.…
A high school student is tackling the overlooked risk of AI-generated satellite imagery that could mislead governments and emergency responders.
PLUS: Drugs found in ink cartridges; Chinse censorship fighters criticize Vultr; Coupang CEO resigns; And more! Asia In Brief A SpaceX executive has claimed that a Chinese satellite launch came within 200 meters of hitting a Starlink satellite.…
Satellite silence trips immobilizers, leaving owners stuck Hundreds of Porsches in Russia were rendered immobile last week, raising speculation of a hack, but the German carmaker tells The Register that its vehicles are secure.…
While satellite constellations — such as Starlink — are resilient, 2,000 drones could cut communications to a region the size of Taiwan, researchers find.
Ground Stations a Top Target in Any Future Conflict, Warns Intelligence OfficialSpace is becoming a domain of warfare, with private sector companies' planet-side infrastructure on the front lines - and the first shots will likely be fired in cyberspace, a senior U.S. intelligence official warned this month. "If someone owns the ground station, they own the satellite."
Criminal outfits had been using Musk's broadband beacons to run cyber-slavery scams across Southeast Asia SpaceX says it has shut down thousands of Starlink terminals that were powering Myanmar's notorious scam compounds after its satellite network was found to be keeping human trafficking and cyber-fraud operations online in the country's lawless border zones.…
The online world is changing fast. Every week, new scams, hacks, and tricks show how easy it’s become to turn everyday technology into a weapon. Tools made to help us work, connect, and stay safe are now being used to steal, spy, and deceive
Space sensors and UAVs at sea top MoD's list in new wave of cutting-edge projects The UK is pressing ahead with cutting-edge defense projects, the latest including research to protect satellites from laser attack and a technology demonstrator for a jet-powered drone to operate from Royal Navy carriers.…
A Charming Kitten subgroup is performing some of the most bespoke cyberattacks ever witnessed in the wild, to down select high-value targets.
Space Policy and Tech Head Paul Liias on Dealing With Satellite VulnerabilitiesA major disruption of civil and military satellites could cause chaos on the ground to communications, navigation and other vital services. But the threats don't just come from missiles. They also comes from hackers who could exploit numerous vulnerabilities, said Estonia's Paul Liias.
A pair of German researchers showed how easy it is Black Hat Four countries have now tested anti-satellite missiles (the US, China, Russia, and India), but it's much easier and cheaper just to hack them.…
Plus, leak site for BlackSuit seized, Tea spilt, and avoid crime if you've got a famous dad Infosec in brief A computer intrusion hit the US spy satellite agency, but officials insist no classified secrets were lost - just some unclassified ones, apparently.…
Cybersecurity researchers have unearthed new Android spyware artifacts that are likely affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and have been distributed to targets by masquerading as VPN apps and Starlink, a satellite internet connection service offered by SpaceX