Securing Satellite Link Segment: A Secure-by-Component Design

TL;DR

This paper presents a secure-by-component design approach for satellite link segments, emphasizing threat analysis, component redesign, and security enhancement within Earth observation missions to improve resilience against cyber threats.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic security engineering methodology applying secure-by-design principles and SPARTA framework to satellite link segments, addressing vulnerabilities in Earth observation systems.

Findings

Enhanced security of satellite link segments through component redesign

Identification of attack surfaces and threat mitigation strategies

Application of secure-by-design principles to satellite communication systems

Abstract

The rapid evolution of communication technologies, compounded by recent geopolitical events such as the Viasat cyberattack in February 2022, has highlighted the urgent need for fast and reliable satellite missions for military and civil security operations. Consequently, this paper examines two Earth observation (EO) missions: one utilizing a single low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite and another through a network of LEO satellites, employing a secure-by-component design strategy. This approach begins by defining the scope of technical security engineering, decomposing the system into components and data flows, and enumerating attack surfaces. Then it proceeds by identifying threats to low-level components, applying secure-by-design principles, redesigning components into secure blocks in alignment with the Space Attack Research & Tactic Analysis (SPARTA) framework, and crafting shall statements to refactor the system design, with a particular focus on improving the security of the link segment.