Cybersecurity is critical to the satellite industry’s core goal: providing mission critical, highly reliable, and secure connectivity. The satellite industry has a long history of providing secure solutions to diverse global customers, including military and government users, corporations of every size and type, the non-profit and scientific communities, and individual consumers.Drawing on the expertise of its diverse membership, and responding to the demands of its user community, the industry has become a leader in providing safe, reliable communications. Communications has become a key enabler for nations to enjoy vibrant 21st Century economies and an equally important contributor to governments maintaining sovereignty and security, resulting in increasing numbers and continuously evolving attacks by criminals, terrorists and nation-states, engendering mounting concern by leaders in the private and governmental sectors. The cyber threat environment is complex, and the stakes are high. While no system can be perfectly secure, each organization’s commitment to foundational security principles helps all contributors to the industry, from software vendors to equipment manufacturers and service providers, improve their security risk profile.
GSC members have identified three principles that—although not intended to be a comprehensive roadmap or exhaustive list—should be at the center of private and government efforts to promote national and global cybersecurity.
- Voluntary, industry-led efforts and public-private partnerships are the optimal way to address cybersecurity at the national or international levels.
- Satellite industry organizations should actively address cybersecurity using industry best practices for risk management: Each company in the satellite ecosystem should develop its own risk management approach, including by assessing whether to implement or customize one or more of many available tools.
- Robust cybersecurity is aided by voluntary information sharing, free from fear of adverse consequences: Sector participants often face common threats, so they must be free to collaborate among themselves and with government to identify and respond to attacks, share mitigations, and learn from past experiences.
