The US Air Force Research Laboratory plans to launch four cubesats into space and create a separate control center for them and all the necessary structure for management. All this will be used as a cyber range to practice countering hacker attacks on satellites.
Cyber range in space
The research laboratory of the US Air Force plans to create the first space cyber range. It is building it together with the non-profit research organization Stephenson Stellar Corp. This was stated by Thomas Parisi, an employee of the Laboratory’s Information Department. The program provides for the creation of conditions for employees of various space organizations to work out to repel cyber attacks on satellites.
It is important to be able to conduct training with the involvement of real satellites and control systems similar to those used in the normal work of various space organizations. For this purpose, four cubesats will be put into orbit, which will simulate an orbital grouping.
According to Parisi, the devices have already been manufactured. But the implementation of the rest of the plan requires additional funding from the Space Forces and other similar organizations. After all, it is still necessary to launch satellites and build a control center for them and all related infrastructure.
Orbital cyber-resistance
The war in Ukraine has led to an increased threat of cyber attacks on satellites. The US military discovered that the principles by which they had so far built their communications in space were ineffective and decided to build a new more flexible system.
Special attention will be paid to cybersecurity and attracting commercial partners. However, space communication and surveillance systems contain many unique elements, both on earth and in space. So it will not be possible to transfer the civilian experience of fighting hackers directly to them.
The Chinese have already announced that combined methods of neutralizing satellite groups, including the use of missile weapons and hacker attacks, are being developed to confront the United States in space. It seems that it is for the development of methods to counteract exactly such scenarios that the new range is intended.
According to spacenews.com
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