La minaccia cyber allo spazio

Space activities are crucial to the functioning of modern societies, from economics to security and defence. Given the critical nature of space infrastructure, it risks being the target of a wide range of attacks, including cyber attacks. The cyber threat to space systems is constantly evolving, and it is characterised by a potential convergence with electronic warfare tools. The conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated the interdependence between the space and cyber domains, as well as their importance for operations in the physical domains, and has emphasised the vulnerabilities of space systems to cyber attacks. The European Union's position in this regard is currently under definition, also through policies and investments aimed at achieving a higher level of autonomy in this sector. NATO is developing its own space posture, following its official recognition of space and cyberspace as operational domains. Nevertheless, there still significant room of improvement in the cybersecurity of numerous European satellite infrastructures, which should be considered a priority to be urgently addressed.

These topics will be the focus of the conference “La minaccia cyber allo spazio”, scheduled for Wednesday 14 December from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at IAI’s headquarters, during which a preview of a IAI study on this subject will be presented.