WASHINGTON — Cybersecurity specialist SpiderOak reported successful on-orbit testing June 22 of its OrbitSecure software running on a Ball Aerospace payload.
“That is the primary time a zero-trust application has been performed in space,” Charles Beames, SpiderOak executive chairman, told
Zero-trust is significant, Beames said, since it offers security at the info level. Each data record is encrypted and stored in a digital ledger. Only someone with the suitable encryption key can access a selected record.
What’s more, if a hacker breaks the encryption, the breach shall be detected and latest encryption keys shall be issued immediately, Beames said.
Ball Aerospace payload
SpiderOak is demonstrating OrbitSecure on a Ball Aerospace payload sent into low-Earth orbit in January on a Loft Orbital satellite. The payload incorporates Ball’s Open Software System (BOSS) framework, which is designed for fast data processing and on-orbit modification of applications.
After the launch, SpiderOak worked closely with Ball to upload and exhibit OrbitSecure software.
While the testing continues, the “demonstration completes a serious milestone” in showing the good thing about OrbitSecure for data security and resiliency, SpiderOak CEO Dave Pearah said in a press release.
Terrestrial Testing
SpiderOak also has conducted extensive terrestrial testing of OrbitSecure with flatsat satellite testbeds from Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Ball.
Still, spaceflight testing is a vital milestone.
“Successfully operating any military system in an operationally relevant environment is all the time a giant milestone,” retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, a member of SpiderOaks Space Advisory Board, said in a press release. “Within the unforgiving environment of space, there is no such thing as a stronger validation that a system is prepared for deployment.”
Jake Sauer, Ball Aerospace vp and chief technologist, called the demonstration “a step towards fortifying the resilience of our space ecosystem.”
Cybersecurity concerns
The U.S. Space Force is requesting $700 million within the 2024 budget for cybersecurity.
Gen. B. Likelihood Saltzman, Space Force chief of space operations, told the House Appropriations defense subcommittee in March that the funding could be spent on cybersecurity software, hardware and training.