Economic Security Mission Center

Space: Conflict and Consequences

Updated: 14MAY22
Agenda

• Geopolitics: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

• Cyber Attacks

• Electronic Attacks

• Implications

• Other Geopolitical Actors

• Enduring Threats

• Cybersecurity

• Insider Threats

• Physical Security

• Supply Chain

• Mitigation: Cybersecurity Best Practices and Resources
Russia/Ukraine

Not Deployed:

• Kinetic Antisatellite (ASAT) Weapons

• Cyber attack on Space Segment

Deployed:

• Cyberattacks

• Electronic attacks

• Sanctions/Countersanctions

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Space System Attack Vectors

Segments Vulnerable to Cyberattack

• Ground

• Space

• Link

Vulnerable Owners/Operators:

• Government

• Military

• Commercial

Russia/Ukraine Conflict:

• Ground

• Link

Ground

Space
Russia/Ukraine: What We Have Seen

• Cyber Attacks

• Targeted Ground Segment

• Space-based assets not targeted

• Damaging Spillover Effects outside of conflict zone

• Electronic Attacks

• Targeted Link Segment

• Signal Spoofing

• Signal Jamming

• Damaging Spillover Effects outside of conflict zone
Cyber Attack

Cyberattack in Conflict Zone:

• Spillover effects reaching as far as Morocco

• 27,000 customers Impacted

• Energy infrastructure sector impacted

• Long-lasting

• Open to follow-on attack by different 

malicious cyber actors

• Potential Damage:

• Reputational (company and sector)

• Financial (company)

• Economic (sector)
Electronic Attack

Electronic Attack In Conflict Zone:

• Signal Spoofing

• Signal Jamming

Spillover effects in Europe and Israel

• Transportation Sector (aviation)

• Communications Sector (provider)

Aviation industry impacted

• Planes grounded up to a week

• Planes diverted mid-air

Communication sector impacted

• Company redirected resources

• Potential delays to other business projects
Sanctions/Countersanctions

Space enterprise is interconnected

• March 2021: Russia Launched 38 spacecraft from 18 different countries on a single Soyuz rocket

• March 2022: Russia is isolated, due to sanctions and its reaction to them. 

Impacts:

• ExoMars Rover Research Mission Postponed

• OneWeb launch canceled; forced to find alternate launch provider

• Rocket engine delivery to US Defense Contractors and others canceled

• Delayed launches of the following: 

• One reconnaissance satellite

• Four Galileo PNT satellites

• Multiple scientific research satellites
Future Conflict

Current conflict does not guarantee similar outcomes in future conflict.

Different actors have different calculus.

Different actors have different counterspace/cyberspace capabilities:

• China: Kinetic + Cyber

• North Korea: Jamming/Spoofing + Cyber

• Iran: Cyber
Enduring Threats

• Not exclusive to space industry

• Not limited to nation-states

• Cyber criminal groups

• Insider Threats

• Lone wolves

• Can take the following forms:

• Weak cybersecurity practices

• Insider threats

• Lax Physical Security

• Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
Cybersecurity

• Imperative to have strong cybersecurity at every stage of space system/space asset 

development and deployment.

• Malware, ransomware, denial of service: some common types that have affected 

aerospace/defense sector.

• Reversible and irreversible cyberattacks.

• Insider threats and lax physical security can have a compounding effect on cyberattacks.

• Jurisdictional issues impact cybersecurity and can create additional cybersecurity vulnerability.
Supply Chain

• Many organizations involved in development and deployment of space system/asset.

• Shared components/vendors

• Increases cyber vulnerability

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Resources for Mitigation

CISA.GOV
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