Satellite provide information and services to support global communications, the economy, security and defence, safety and emergency management, the environment and health. Their strategic value inevitably raises the issue of cybersecurity. The information they provide thus becomes a lucrative and enticing prospect for hackers. No more, considering how satellites and their associated infrastructure are critical to sustaining an increasingly globalised, and interconnected world. The space sector is unique in the field of cybersecurity. It is an industry where civil, commercial and military applications seamlessly co-exist, creating a haphazard situation for cybersecurity experts and telecommunication engineers.

This Project Group follows the outcomes of the Space & Cybersecurity working group at the European Space Generation Workshop (ESGW) 2018, hosted in Bucharest, to emphasize the need to reflect on the nature of space and cybersecurity, what the priorities of governments and international institution should be, whether data should remain open source or limited in its availability, possible technical solutions to the challenges posed above, and the shape and origin of threats to cybersecurity in space.

This Project Group will create an international forum to further the discussions we had in Bucharest, which we aspire to lead to papers being published. The new Group will support SGAC’s goal on providing a dynamic forum, where members can share their thoughts, views and opinion on international space policy issues, and raise awareness among the next generation of space professionals about the global scale of space activities. In addition we want to spread these discussions by having the Group create a presentation that can set the basis for members to do cybersecurity presentations around the world themselves. Finally, in the longer run we aim to create a cybersecurity test. At the end of the test participants can download an awareness poster on how to limit exposure to cybersecurity threats, which can enhance SGAC visibility. The UN has also shown interest in the topic of cybersecurity, through resolutions and reports. We wish to push the cybersecurity agenda at UNCOPUOS. We have 9 potential advisors, which supports SGAC’s strategy to strengthen relationships and partnerships with academia and industry.