Satellite hacking poses growing global threat as cyber defenses weaken, Israeli official warns
An Israeli cyber official warns that rising satellite attacks could disrupt global communications, aviation and shipping as space networks expand rapidly.
Cyber attacks on space-related assets have seen a significant rise in recent years, with Israel's National Cyber Directorate Director, Kobi Menashe, warning of an "invisible cyber war in space" at the Cyber Week Conference in Tel Aviv University. Menashe highlighted an incident where Russia hacked Viasat's satellite internet system in 2022, affecting Ukraine's and several European countries' communications.
He noted that the increasing number of satellites in space, coupled with weaker cyber defense security, has made hacking easier and increased the number of potential targets. Satellites now communicate with multiple other satellites and nodes, unlike the traditional one-ground-station design, meaning a hack in one satellite can impact many others, causing rapid and widespread damage.
Menashe described various potential hacking methods, including eavesdropping, spooling, replaying, jamming, location spoofing, and protocol exploitation. He also mentioned the emergence of autonomous space operations with extended periods without human oversight, allowing for prolonged hacking. The impact of such hacks extends beyond space, affecting national communications, vehicles, aircraft, sea vessels, and various operations.
For instance, during the early 2026 Iran war, 1,100 maritime vessels lost maneuvering ability due to space-related hacking.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
