"Satellites and Space Cybersecurity Course Helps Students Explore Concepts, Tools to Keep Space Systems, Vehicles Secure"
Satellites and Space Cybersecurity, a first-year course in the Information Security and Intelligence program at Ferris State University, is a major work in progress supporting cybersecurity and data science. The course will cover multiple parts of the space system, in which a network of ground equipment for data distribution supports a satellite in orbit. Will Allington, a graduate student from Howard City, noted that a wide variety of orbiting communications equipment is being considered, ranging from spacecraft weighing more than two tons to picosatellites weighing only a pound or two and offering a short service life in amateur communications. Allington stated that this topic places a strong emphasis on understanding the risks associated with these units regarding real costs that exist for the satellite owners and individuals they serve. There are unencrypted weather satellites and demodulated signals that enable the tracking of airplanes. Students will examine transmissions supporting Artificial Intelligence (AI) operations, communications from autonomous vehicles, and GPS data. All of these operations rely on effective cybersecurity solutions that stress safety. This article continues to discuss the new course on reviewing space cybersecurity and the importance of exploring this realm of security.