As bipartisan senators reintroduce the Satellite Cybersecurity Act, the urgency to safeguard the nation’s commercial satellite networks has never been greater. Cyber and electronic warfare threats increasingly target space-based infrastructure that supports both military and civilian operations. As space becomes a contested domain, ensuring the resilience of commercial satellite communications is now a core national security issue.
The strategic value of low-cost satellites
Low-cost, proliferated satellite systems have transformed how nations conduct operations in contested regions. Modern conflict zones, including Ukraine, provide clear evidence of their strategic importance. Tens of thousands of terminals, such as Starlink, have become essential for maintaining military command and control, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, logistics and emergency services.
These systems are not just military tools. They are vital for civilian continuity in areas where traditional communications infrastructure is fragile or has been disrupted. The rapid deployability of these satellites provides operational flexibility and resilience. However, as adversaries recognize the value of these networks, they increasingly seek to disrupt them through both operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) cyberattacks and electronic warfare. Protecting these satellites is essential, because any disruption would have cascading consequences far beyond the battlefield, affecting civilian services, supply chains and emergency response systems.
Beyond the kinetic threat: Vulnerabilities in ground infrastructure
While traditional kinetic threats, such as missiles or anti-satellite weapons, remain concerning, the more significant risks often lie in non-kinetic attacks targeting ground infrastructure and constellation operations. Propulsion systems, navigation controls and network management layers are increasingly susceptible to cyber exploitation both for OT and IT devices.
Major global powers, including China, have openly demonstrated methods to disrupt satellite constellation communications. Non-kinetic attacks can compromise both military operations and civilian services, making them particularly dangerous. A recent example is ongoing interference attempts against Starlink satellite communications in Iran during the country’s crackdown on protests, where authorities have tried to jam or spoof satellite signals to disrupt civilian internet access and communications. Securing commercial satellite systems requires a holistic approach, which includes hardened ground segments, redundant communication pathways and diverse service providers and waveforms. These measures are essential to ensure continuity of mission-critical operations and to maintain national security.
The need for coordinated federal and industry efforts
Securing commercial satellite networks cannot be the responsibility of a single entity. It requires deep coordination between federal agencies, commercial operators and industry partners. Voluntary cybersecurity guidance, operational playbooks, and standardized protocols can help align public and private sector efforts.
Federal agencies play a critical role in providing frameworks for resilience and response. By collaborating with private operators, agencies can ensure that commercial satellite communications systems are recognized as Tier-1 critical infrastructure. This recognition supports the continuity of mission-critical operations, even in contested environments. Public-private partnerships are vital for sharing threat intelligence, conducting joint exercises, and implementing proactive cybersecurity measures before crises occur. These partnerships also help operators anticipate emerging threats and respond effectively to attacks on both ground and space-based assets.
Lessons from conflict zones
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine highlights both the opportunities and vulnerabilities associated with low-cost satellite systems. While these satellites have become indispensable for operations and continuity, their rapid proliferation has also attracted cyber and electronic warfare attention.
Operational risks extend beyond network outages. Disruption of satellite services could impede supply chains, emergency response and multi-domain operations. Adversaries targeting commercial satellites can create cascading effects that extend well beyond immediate military objectives. This underscores the broader national security implications of commercial satellite vulnerabilities. Ensuring resilience is not just about preventing immediate attacks. It is also about maintaining long-term operational continuity across civilian and military domains.
Strategies for resilient satellite operations
To safeguard commercial satellite communications, operators and policymakers must adopt a layered approach:
- Harden ground infrastructure: Ground stations, propulsion systems and network control nodes must be reinforced against OT and IT cyber and electronic threats.
- Diversify providers and waveforms: Relying on multiple satellite providers and communication channels reduces systemic risk.
- Pre-planned operational playbooks: Clear response protocols minimize operational disruption during attacks.
- Policy frameworks: Establishing formal guidelines for commercial satellite communications as critical infrastructure ensures regulatory support and federal engagement.
- Continuous threat monitoring: Cyber and electronic warfare threats evolve rapidly, making real-time monitoring and threat intelligence sharing essential.
These strategies require leadership and coordination across government and private sectors. They are essential to preserve the operational advantages that low-cost, proliferated satellites provide.
Preparing for the future
The accelerating pace of technological advancement and adversarial activity in space demands a shift in how security is framed and implemented. Securing commercial satellite systems is not simply an IT exercise. It is fundamentally an OT challenge with direct implications for the physical systems and processes that satellites control and support. From ground stations and telemetry systems to command-and-control interfaces that enable positioning, navigation, timing and communications, these OT environments represent a growing attack surface with real-world consequences.
As the Satellite Cybersecurity Act moves forward, lawmakers, operators and federal agencies must prioritize protections that extend beyond enterprise networks and into the cyber-physical layer of satellite operations. Disruption at the OT level can translate immediately into degraded mission performance, service outages or loss of control over space-based assets. Protecting commercial satellite infrastructure is no longer optional. It is essential for operational readiness, national security, and the resilience of the interconnected critical infrastructure that depends on space systems. The ability to safeguard these OT environments today will determine whether U.S. space assets can withstand future cyber and electronic warfare threats and continue delivering essential military and civilian services.
Jen Sovada is public sector general manager at Claroty.
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