Cyber attacks have been on the rise lately. One of the attacks is cyber attacks against satellites. The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has published an IT core protection profile for space infrastructure. With this profile, Germany aims to combat satellite cyber threats. Germany covers many important issues with its satellite cyber attack plan.
The plan includes several classifications concerning satellites.
The document, published last week, is the result of a year’s work by Airbus Defense and Space, the space agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and BSI. This plan includes defining the need for cybersecurity for satellites. However, some give the impression of a late decision given the speed at which companies like SpaceX are launching their spacecraft into orbit.
The plan includes many classifications such as ‘Normal’ and ‘High. It also covers information security from production to operation of satellites. The ‘Normal’ category in the plan is about damage associated with manageable and limited damage. The ‘High’ category concerns damages that will significantly limit the operation of the satellite system.
In the ‘Very High’ category out of these categories, the attack can reach the size of an existential threat for the manufacturer or operator. The document consists of basic information on what to pay attention to, rather than a simple set of instructions. However, it is possible to reach very detailed information.
The lifecycle of the satellite consists of design, testing, transport, operation and decommissioning. Then there are the applications and networks used to support the spacecraft itself. The increase in satellites brings with it an increase in attacks in surface areas.
Cybersecurity in space is becoming more and more important. More than a decade ago, a pair of US-directed environmental monitoring satellites faced interference. As anti-satellite weapons do significant damage, cyberwarfare has become even more common. The BSI document, on the other hand, contains a lot of information. This information includes important details such as what to do for satellites that have expired.
So, what do you think about this subject? Do you think the German satellite cyberattack plan will work? Don’t forget to share your views with us in the comments!
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