"Can These Researchers Help Defend Satellite Systems Targeted by Hackers?"

When hackers attacked a European satellite Internet provider on the eve of the Ukraine war, Internet communications were hampered at a crucial time for Kyiv's defense. This digital attack, which officials and experts attributed to Moscow, had an additional consequence. It demonstrated how vulnerable space systems continue to be and what might occur when intruders strike. However, a new initiative aims to boost cybersecurity knowledge and preparedness in a sector that is just beginning to understand the threat posed by malicious hackers. In an effort to bridge the knowledge gap between aerospace engineers and cybersecurity defenders as well as strengthen efforts to secure space, the Aerospace Corporation, a nonprofit federally funded research and development center, has launched a new framework outlining how attackers could compromise satellite technology. Launched in October, the Space Attack Research and Tactic Analysis (SPARTA) framework seeks to describe the specific threats hackers pose to space-based systems. Current frameworks such as MITRE's ATT&CK framework and Microsoft's Kubernetes represent the industry standard for describing attacks on on-the-ground devices. However, according to Brandon Bailey, senior project leader in the Aerospace Corporation's Cyber Assessments and Research Department, these frameworks become less useful for describing attacks on spacecraft. SPARTA differs from MITRE's ATT&CK framework in that it incorporates approaches that have been proven in the lab or by researchers, but have not yet been observed in the wild. Bailey stated that the designers of SPARTA selected this method because of the scarcity of recorded attacks on spacecraft. They are also attempting to address not only threat researchers, but also developers and engineers constructing space technologies. This article continues to discuss the SPARTA framework aimed at describing the unique threats hackers may pose to systems in space.

CyberScoop reports "Can These Researchers Help Defend Satellite Systems Targeted by Hackers?"