Satellite Systems Security Needs To Be Reinforced Against Cyber Attack

Three months following the disruption of the Viasat satellite communications system at the outset of the attempted invasion of Ukraine, there are continued concerns about the adequate protection of the ground systems and networks that provide many entry points for cyber attackers. 

Russia’s continued attack on Ukraine has been under constant surveillance by satellites, highlighting their importance in the conflict and how vulnerable satellite systems are to cyber attack.

US Space Force Lt. Gen.Chance Saltzman, deputy chief of space operations for nuclear and cyber, said he had been briefed about Russian cyber attacks which were aimed at Ukrainian users of satellite Internet services. “One of the observations that I would offer on that is that, if you think the only way to dismantle space capabilities is by shooting down satellites, you’re missing the bigger picture … as these cyber attacks are on ground networks,” Saltzman told Spacenews.

The US State Department has blamed Russia for a cyber attack on Viasat’s KA-SAT satellite Internet network that took place a day before Russian forces attacked Ukraine. The attack disabled user terminals in Ukraine and across Europe that provide Internet services to private citizens. Viasat said the satellite itself was not targeted and the attack affected 40,000 user terminals, a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of customers of the network. Viasat said services have since been restored.

In a separate development, Space-X owner Elon Musk has tweeted that Russian hackers have been trying to take down SpaceX’s Starlink broadband service the company is providing in Ukraine.

If the ground infrastructure that supports satellites becomes the main target, it will be important to have “assured networks that are defended by cyber professionals, or we’re not going to be effective in accomplishing our missions,” Saltzman said. “I think that’s a critical point that we’ve learned from this environment.” 

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of the US Space Force’s Space Operations Command, told SpaceNews that the likeliest form of attack facing satellite networks is on the ground. “Cyberspace is the soft underbelly of our global space networks.” he said. 

In response, the Space Operations Command is retraining cyber security specialists who protect desktop systems at Space Force bases to more demanding roles defending military satellite networks. Saltzman said more time will be needed to evaluate the events in Ukraine as the conflict continues. 

Russia can use its satellites to attack other satellites physically and virtually in orbit, as made evident in 2021 when it fired a missile from one of its satellites to successfully destroy another of its satellites.

Spacenews:    Spacenews:    Reuters:      Fierce Electronics:     NYPost:    The Cyberwire:  C4ISRNET:     

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