Numerous Jamming, Cyber Vulnerabilities in Satcom, Experts Say

The RF link is the most obvious area of satellite communications security vulnerability, but not the only one, said Tim Shroyer, Communications and Power Industries' Satcom & Antenna Technologies Division chief technology officer. Speaking Tuesday on a space security webinar, he said tracking, telemetry and control are generally well protected with encryption, but most other layers of satellite operations have vulnerabilities. Northern Sky Research President Brad Grady said jamming and RF security aren't new to the satellite sector, but the sophistication of jammers is growing as they move from targeting RF to cybersecurity and the physical layer. Integrasys CEO Alvaro Sanchez said more automation of monitoring processes can result in quicker responses to jamming and cyber events. Warning of satcom threats, the FBI's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in an alert earlier this spring said satcom operators should "significantly lower their threshold for reporting and sharing indications of malicious cyber activity."