AI-assisted tool helped secure satellite communication system after 2022 Russian hacking

On the same day Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the country disabled thousands of satellite modems across Ukraine and other European nations with the aim of disrupting communications. To address this vulnerability amid fears of ongoing Russian aggression and emerging Iranian threats to cyber infrastructure, a new AI-assisted tool called "Argo" has been developed by cybersecurity firm Atalanta.

Argo, which relies on what Atalanta refers to as "software understanding," combines complex mathematics with artificial intelligence technology to create a commercial system capable of analyzing software and internet-connected systems for vulnerabilities in a more thorough manner. Industry experts view this new technology as a significant advancement in defending critical systems in the emerging cyber warfare arena.

The rise of conflicts in Ukraine and Iran has underscored the dangers hackers pose to everyday life. Government agencies have recently warned of Iranian hackers targeting water and wastewater systems, among other critical infrastructure. Atalanta CEO and co-founder Anjana Rajan stated during an interview with the Associated Press, "The tools and techniques of yesterday do not scale for today and 'software understanding' is going to be the path forward for anyone building a system of consequence for the United States."

Viasat's chief of cyber strategy, Nick Saunders, added that the new technology not only ensures the Viasat network is fortified against future attacks but also provides the mathematical backing for this claim.