"Cyberspace in Space: The Out-Of-This-World Challenges Ahead"

Satellites and the space-based services they provide are critical to modern society, as they support telecommunications, the Global Positioning System (GPS), and accessible Internet connections for millions of people worldwide. In space, security is a persistent issue that is likely to get worse. Attacks launched against ViaSat and Starlink Internet services in Ukraine this year included jamming, GPS spoofing, and other cyberattacks. The flow of information is disrupted by jamming Starlink connections, which could be critical in a conflict. Although limited in scope, anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are real. According to a University of Oxford research paper on satellite cybersecurity, as space systems become more interconnected and computationally complex, new concerns about the threat of cyberattacks have arisen. The US Department of Defense (DOD) pointed out the People's Republic of China as one threat. According to an in-depth research paper on China's military power, space is on the agenda, with electronic warfare as part of that strategy. A successful cyberattack on a satellite could have serious ramifications. Blocking communications with the satellite, for example, could disrupt critical communications and services for millions of people on the ground. A cyberattack could change a satellite's course to disrupt or permanently damage it. While there may be rules and conventions prohibiting governments from conducting full-scale cyberattacks on satellites operated by other nations in space, the war in Ukraine shows that disrupting satellite communications is not entirely off the table. Although cyberattacks against satellites appear unlikely in the near future, anything built with Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity can be accessed via the Internet, potentially including satellites. This article continues to discuss cyber threats facing space systems.  

ZDNet reports "Cyberspace in Space: The Out-Of-This-World Challenges Ahead"