Cyber Security in the Space Domain : Can Traditional Cyber Methods be Applied in the Ground Segment of Space Projects?

Stronger cyber security is needed in the space domain, since the attack surfaces are widening as the number of new space projects are growing and new use cases emerge for satellites, related to 5G and IoT. Author proposed a research cooperation and a topic evolving around threat modeling of space systems to Huld, a recognized company with extensive experience in software development for space projects and validation and verification of satellite software. The agreed goal was to do a research with an as broad scope as possible to find areas either for further research or for commercialization. The ground segment was selected as an area of special interest. The focus of the research was on evaluating the adaptability of existing cyber security methods in space projects, while investigating the regulatory and standardization landscape. Design science research was selected as a research method. Extensive literature review, standard review and interviews with in-house experts were carried out in the problem identification phase. In the solution design phase, a threat modeling process was created for a ground segment as a service software. In the evaluation phase a workshop was organized where the method was implemented, tested and evaluated. Main finding was that the underdeveloped regulation and standard landscape hinders the adoption of a good cyber hygiene in the space domain. This finding was in-line with the results of the literature review. Threat modeling might act as a bridge to overcome the challenge of how to shift the mentality from the security through obscurity and security as an afterthought to a security by design way of thinking