SAINTCON 2023 - Jacob Oakley - In Space, No One Can Hear You Ping

Cybersecurity risks in space industry skyrocketing, threatening devastating consequences and economic losses.

Key takeaways

The space industry is not prioritizing cybersecurity, considering it a “ PSA” which can have catastrophic consequences.
There are many companies and governments investing heavily in space technology, making it a lucrative target for attackers.
Satellites are complex systems with many councils, including payload, bus, and communication systems, making it challenging to secure them all.
The bus is responsible for flying the space vehicle, and payloads can be compromised by hacking into the bus.
Satellites can be attacked through radiation, solar flares, and malicious commands sent to the ground station.
The space industry is still using legacy systems and hardware, making it vulnerable to attacks.
Supply chain attacks are a significant risk in the space industry, as many components come from the same suppliers.
The lack of segmentation and isolation of systems makes it easy for attackers to pivot between systems.
The use of VMs and cloud services can create a means for attackers to gain access to space systems.
The risk of compromise is further increased by the fact that many space programs are sponsored by governments, making it a high-stakes target for nation-states.
The fallout from a space system compromise can be severe, including the risk of death, destructive attacks, and economic loss.
The cost of developing and launching a new satellite can be in the tens of millions of dollars, making it a lucrative target for ransomware attacks.
The lack of transparency and visibility in space systems makes it difficult to detect and respond to attacks.
The space industry needs to prioritize cybersecurity and work with the cybersecurity community to develop effective solutions.
Attackers can target satellites in a variety of ways, including hacking into the ground station, exploiting vulnerabilities in the bus and payload, and using radiation and solar flares.
The use of FPGAs and custom hardware can create a risk of supply chain attacks.
The space industry needs to develop more secure hardware and software, and improve its supply chain management to mitigate risks.

SAINTCON 2023 - Jacob Oakley - In Space, No One Can Hear You Ping

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