Jacob G. Oakley

Cybersecurity for Space

Protecting the Final Frontier

Jacob G. Oakley
Owens Cross Roads, AL, USA
ISBN 978-1-4842-5731-9e-ISBN 978-1-4842-5732-6
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-5732-6
© Jacob G. Oakley 2020
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
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While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.
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To my children,

If a crayon-eating Marine can get published writing a book about hacking computers in outer space, you can accomplish anything.

Introduction

As a cybersecurity professional, the more I learn about space systems, the more I realize how underprepared the space industry is against cybersecurity threats and how unaware the cybersecurity industry is of the space domain in general. I wrote this book to provide a primer on space systems and the concepts of space vehicle operations to cybersecurity practitioners. The environmental and operational challenges and constraints faced by space systems are considerable. The threats and vectors by which those threats will affect space systems are imposed or created by these challenges and constraints. After reading this book, cybersecurity professionals will have the building blocks of knowledge necessary to develop and implement solutions to space system issues which not only improve the resiliency and security of those systems but allow them or enable them to conduct their mission. I also provide macro- and microanalysis of compromise scenarios involving space systems to drive home the very real and present risk to such systems via the cyber domain. Though written from the perspective of and for the primary audience of the cybersecurity industry, space domain operators, designers, and developers can surely benefit from understanding the threats, vectors, and issues that cyber brings with it. This is especially relevant given the interconnectivity and continued digitization and software definition of space system components.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my beautiful wife and family for putting up with this and other nerdy endeavors.

To Dr. Al Bosse who performed the technical review for this book and has been a font of knowledge about space and space vehicle operations, this book would not be possible without you.

To all you keyboard-wielding cyber warriors out there protecting freedom, I salute you.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1:​ Space Systems 1
Tipping Point 1
An Introduction to Space Systems 2
The Ground Station Design 4
SV Design 6
Ground Station Functionality 7
SV Functionality 8
Space System Architectures 12
Conclusion 17
Chapter 2:​ Space Challenges 19
Environmental Challenges 20
Radiation 20
Temperature 21
Space Objects and Collisions 22
Gravity 23
Operational Challenges 24
Testing 24
Launch 25
Deployment 26
Detumble 26
Power 27
Emanations 28
Frequency 28
De-orbit 29
Conclusion 30
Chapter 3:​ Low Earth Orbit 31
LEO, Smallsats, and the General Challenges of Space 32
Environmental Challenges 32
Operational Challenges 34
Unique Aspects of LEO and Smallsats 36
Communications 36
Ground Footprint 38
Persistence 39
LEO Mesh Space Systems 40
The Challenge of the Mesh 40
The Anomaly 41
Conclusion 42
Chapter 4:​ Other Space Vehicles 43
Medium Earth Orbit 43
Geostationary Orbit 45
Multi-orbit Constellations 46
Special Systems 49
Weapons 49
Human Aboard 50
Extraterrestrial​ 51
Deep Space 52
Conclusion 53
Chapter 5:​ Threats to the Vehicle 55
Electrical Power System (EPS) 56
Non-cyber Threat to EPS 1 56
Non-cyber Threat to EPS 2 56
Cyber Threat to EPS 1 57
Cyber Threat to EPS 2 57
Communication 58
Non-cyber Threat to Communication 1 58
Non-cyber Threat to Communication 2 58
Cyber Threat to Communication 1 59
Cyber Threat to Communication 2 60
Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&​C) 60
Non-cyber Threat to GN&​C 1 60
Non-cyber Threat to GN&​C 2 61
Cyber Threat to GN&​C 1 61
Cyber Threat to GN&​C 2 62
De-orbit 62
Non-cyber Threat to De-orbit 62
Cyber Threat to De-orbit 1 62
Cyber Threat to De-orbit 2 63
Non-LEO Space Systems 63
Weapons 63
Crewed 64
Extraterrestrial​ 65
Deep Space 66
Conclusion 67
Chapter 6:​ Threats to the Mission 69
Cyber and Safeguards 69
Watchdogs 70
Gold Copies 70
Fallback Encryption 71
Resource Limits 72
Sensing Missions 72
Radio Signal 72
Terrestrial Photo-Imagery 73
Terrestrial Thermal Imagery 74
Terrestrial Monitoring 75
Space Monitoring 76
Space Imaging 77
Emitting Missions 78
Positioning 78
Jamming 79
Communication Missions 80
Broadcast 80
Pipe 81
Weapon Missions 82
Non-cyber Threat to Mission 82
Cyber Threat to Mission 83
Life Support 83
Non-cyber Threat to Mission 83
Cyber Threat to Mission 84
Other Mission Threats 84
Watchdog Abuse 84
Bus/​Payload Communications 84
Conclusion 85
Chapter 7:​ Pre-operational Vectors 87
Design 87
Confidentiality 88
Integrity 89
Availability 89
Development 91
Confidentiality Threat to Confidentiality 91
Integrity 92
Availability 93
Supply Chain Interdiction 94
Confidentiality 95
Integrity 96
Availability 97
Testing and Validation 98
Confidentiality 98
Integrity 99
Availability 100
General Interdiction 102
Conclusion 102
Chapter 8:​ Communication Vectors 103
Between Ground and Space 103
Confidentiality 103
Integrity 105
Availability 105
Between Space and Space 107
Confidentiality 107
Integrity 108
Availability 109
Between Bus and Payload 111
Confidentiality 111
Integrity 112
Availability 113
Conclusion 114
Chapter 9:​ Operational Vectors 115
Flight and Operation 115
Confidentiality 116
Integrity 117
Availability 118
Analysis and Dissemination 119
Confidentiality 120
Integrity 121
Availability 122
Consumers 123
Confidentiality 123
Integrity 124
Availability 125
Conclusion 126
Chapter 10:​ Compromise Microanalysis 127
A Series of Unfortunate Events 128
The Plan 128
Targeting 128
Personal Computer 129
Phone 130
Lab Computer 132
Ground Station Computer 133
Payload Computer 135
Data Handler 137
SDR 138
Conclusion 140
Chapter 11:​ Compromise Macroanalysis 141
Initial Ground Station 141
How 142
Why 143
Payload 1 Computer 143
How 143
Why 144
Payload Ground Network 144
How 145
Why 145
Flight Computer 146
How 146
Why 147
Flight Ground Network 147
How 147
Why 148
Payload 2 Computer 148
How 149
Why 149
Mesh 150
How 150
Why 151
Conclusion 152
Chapter 12:​ Summary 153
The Cost Problem 153
The Cyber Warfare Problem 155
The Test Problem 156
The Adaptation Problem 156
The Defense in Depth Problem 157
The Modernization Problem 157
The Failure Analysis Problem 158
Conclusion 159
Index 161
About the Author
Jacob G. Oakley
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spent over seven years in the US Marines originally involved in satellite communications and later was one of the founding members in the operational arm of the Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. After his enlistment, he wrote and taught an advanced computer operations course, eventually returning back to mission support. He left government contracting to do threat emulation and red teaming at a private company for commercial clients, serving as the principal penetration tester and director of penetration testing and cyber operations. He is currently working as a cybersecurity subject matter expert for a government customer, advising on cybersecurity integration and strategy. He completed his doctorate in IT at Towson University, researching and developing offensive cybersecurity methods, and is the author ofProfessional Red Teaming: Conducting Successful Cybersecurity Engagements (Apress, 2019) as well asWaging Cyber War: Technical Challenges and Operational Constraints (Apress, 2019).

 
About the Technical Reviewer
Albert B. Bosse

is a practicing spacecraft engineer, currently serving as chief engineer for electro-optical and infrared space vehicles for a government customer. He has over 28 years of experience applying his expertise in aerospace vehicle structures, structural dynamics, guidance, navigation and control, and systems engineering for the advancement of tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities within the U.S. Department of Defense. His notable past positions include Spacecraft Control Systems Branch Head at the Naval Research Laboratory (2001–2005), Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati (2005–2008), Technical Director of the Missile Defense Agency Interceptor Knowledge Center (2009–2017), and Chief Scientist of the Missile Defense Agency Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Program (2019). The organizations he previously served include the Naval Research Laboratory, Swales Aerospace, Draper Laboratory, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.

Dr. Bosse earned M.S. and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1991 and 1993, respectively, as well as a B.S. in physics from Thomas More University in 1987.

 
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