Exposure of space systems, spacecraft, ground segment and links, to a cyberattack capable of interrupting service without any physical damage to the spacecraft.
Space cyber risk refers to the exposure of space systems, the spacecraft itself, its ground control segment and user terminals, to a cyberattack capable of interrupting service without any physical damage to the orbiting spacecraft. The ground segment, often less hardened than the satellite and connected to conventional terrestrial networks, is a favored attack surface: compromising control stations or customer modems can cut a service without any physical space loss being recorded, which raises the question of which cover applies. An attack can also target command links, with a theoretical risk of unauthorized takeover of a satellite, a rare scenario but one taken seriously by military and government operators. For insurers, space cyber risk shifts the analysis from physical damage toward business interruption and liability, and raises an accumulation problem similar to terrestrial cyber: a software vulnerability shared across one ground segment or one terminal manufacturer can simultaneously affect thousands of customers spread across a wide territory.
On February 24, 2022, a cyberattack using AcidRain wiper malware crippled modems on Viasat's KA-SAT satellite network across Europe, cutting access for tens of thousands of users and disrupting remote monitoring of thousands of German wind turbines along the way, without any satellite being physically affected.
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