'Urgent' Need for Cyber Defense in Space
upstart writes:
More public-private collab around this issue coming soon:
RSA Conference Defending space systems against cyberthreats remains "urgent and requires high-level attention," according to acting National Cyber Director Kemba Walden. And to this end, the White House will host its first space industry cybersecurity workshop this week in southern California.
[...] "We are all aware that the first 'shot' in the current Ukraine conflict was a cyberattack against a US space company," Walden said, referencing Russia's attempt to jam SpaceX's Starlink, which was using its satellite constellation to deliver internet connectivity to Ukraine.
[...] Cyberthreats against space systems now include nation-state threat actors like China and Russia, and even acts of war, as was evidenced by the Starlink and Viasat cyberattacks. Securing these systems is a multi-faceted challenge that spans domains, components and both public and private organizations. As such, the solution will require a collaborative approach, Walden told reporters.
"You have the base stations, you have the links from base stations, to the satellites, and then you've got the satellites themselves," she said. "You also have space innovation in the form of venture capital, and investment in space. Startups get eaten up by larger companies that ... end up in critical space systems."
This makes secure-by-design space technology especially pressing, and it's something the White House is tackling head on, Walden said.
The White House's Cybersecurity Strategy, released last month, touched on the need to secure space-based systems, including those for navigation, positioning, and environmental monitoring.
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