Space ISAC sets up Operational Watch Center to monitor spread of threats, vulnerabilities to space systems

Space ISAC launched Thursday its Operational Watch Center and its initial operational capability. Supported by a dedicated team of ten in-person analysts with additional virtual support enabled by a secure cloud architecture, Space ISAC’s Watch Center represents a monumental step forward for the space community. 

Identifying the Operational Watch Center initiative as a crucial milestone for Space ISAC, whose executive, operational, and administrative functions are operated by the National Cybersecurity Center (NCC) and the global space industry, the agency pointed out that the Center will help address the growing threats and vulnerabilities faced by this sector that now serves billions of people worldwide.

With the setting up of the Watch Center, Space ISAC said “as we continue to expand our partnerships and memberships, we remain committed to identifying and addressing the ever-evolving threats and vulnerabilities that impact our space systems. Together, we can ensure the protection and continued success of this invaluable resource for the benefit of all,” it added.

Space ISAC currently has 64 members, including those on the founding board, platinum, gold, silver, university, and small business members. These members, located across the globe, represent a diverse array of market sectors, including AI solutions, machine learning, cloud and data processing, satellite communications, remote sensing, and cybersecurity. 

The Watch Center is further strengthened by the agency’s partnerships with over 30 government agencies worldwide. The collaboration enables sharing of threat and vulnerability information, informing policy, and promoting joint efforts to secure the global space sector. By sharing information on disruptions to space systems through the Watch Center, “we are creating a unified front against potential threats. As a result, companies, their assets, and the broader space sector will benefit from enhanced security and resilience, ensuring the ongoing success and sustainability of this vital global infrastructure,” it added.

“Protecting space systems as critical infrastructure is incredibly rewarding,” Hector Falcon, Cyber and Space Intelligence Integrator at Space ISAC, said in a media statement. “Given that all 16 critical infrastructure sectors use these assets, we are defending not just an array of touchpoints but our livelihood. The analysts monitor data feeds and visualizations, detecting anomalies and correlating this information with other sources to produce comprehensive reports for our members.”

Lt. Gen. Whiting shared that “the vision of Space ISAC is precisely what is needed if we’re going to stay ahead of pacing threats as well as strengthen the cyber resilience of systems in space and supporting the infrastructures on the ground. Through the information sharing of Space ISAC, the space enterprise will be able to be smarter, faster, and more safe.” 

As the space economy is projected to reach a staggering $1 trillion by 2040, making it more commercial and accessible than ever before, the Watch Center is designed to address the increased susceptibility to attacks on space-based assets. By monitoring both space and terrestrial activities, “we can defend collectively against adversaries and reduce response times from months to minutes – an unprecedented achievement.”

“To counter the global rise in threats to space critical infrastructure, the Space ISAC Watch Center will prove to be a vital capability in mitigating current and future risk,” Jay Santee, vice president of defense systems group at the Aerospace Corporation. “Aerospace appreciates the ability to incorporate our Space Attack Research & Tactic Analysis (SPARTA) into the Watch Center to help address the information and communication barriers that hinder the identification and sharing of space-cyber Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTP).”

The Watch Center Fellowship Program also aims to build a diverse talent pipeline, providing experiential training and opportunities for students, early career professionals, and transitioning military or government personnel. The 12-month pathway, which can be completed in-person or virtually, offers participants the chance to grow their knowledge, skills, and abilities in cybersecurity, threat intelligence, and both civil and commercial space sectors. The talent pipeline contributes to Space ISAC’s mission by fostering the next generation of experts who will continue to protect space systems.

“We appreciate the collaborative environment of Space ISAC,” Wren Sigrest, Battelle’s cyber business line director, said. “It fosters the sharing of critical information, best practices, and resources to help protect our space infrastructure from cyber threats to its software and hardware through a global supply chain. The Space ISAC is vital to bring state-of-the-art microelectronics verification techniques and risk management to existing and emerging commercial and government space operators in support of our national security.”

“Universities are an important part of our membership base,” according to Erin Miller, executive director at Space ISAC. “It is not possible to raise our global security posture without the multi-disciplinary students from our universities jumping in early in their academic career to learn about the emerging field of cybersecurity for space”

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said in its latest annual report released earlier this month that China probably currently represents the broadest, most active, and persistent cyber espionage threat to U.S. government and private-sector networks. “China’s cyber pursuits and its industry’s export of related technologies increase the threats of aggressive cyber operations against the U.S. homeland, suppression of the free flow of information in cyberspace—such as U.S. web content—that Beijing views as threatening to the CCP’s hold on power, and the expansion of technology-driven authoritarianism globally,” it added.

The report also identified that Russia continues to train its military space elements, and field new anti-satellite weapons to disrupt and degrade U.S. and allied space capabilities. “It is developing, testing, and fielding an array of nondestructive and destructive counterspace weapons—including jamming and cyberspace capabilities, directed energy weapons, on-orbit capabilities, and ground-based ASAT capabilities—to try to target U.S. and allied satellites. Similar to the space sector, resource and technology challenges could have an impact on the quality and quantity of Russia’s future counterspace capabilities,” it added.

Anna Ribeiro

Industrial Cyber News Editor. Anna Ribeiro is a freelance journalist with over 14 years of experience in the areas of security, data storage, virtualization and IoT.