Air Force Looking To Beef Up Spacecraft Network Security

coondoggie writes "How is spacecraft development — from the space parts supply chain to actual space operations — protected from those who would try to penetrate or disrupt the networks involved in that process? The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has put out a call for research to understand that security scenario. They say, 'we are much less concerned about information on the broader themes of cyber-security but rather those that pertain to the mission of the spacecraft, the spacecraft as a platform, the systems that constitute the spacecraft, the computers and their software, the busses and networks within, and the elements that interface to the spacecraft.'"

Does it have an antenna?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you cannot control every single aspect of the spacecraft platform they had better just plan around having been compromised already.

1st step

[Nidi62]

Don't buy from China, develop and manufacture domestically instead?

Mars, Bitches!

[PopeRatzo]

Somebody's looking for a big bump in military spending, I think.

I wonder how high the percentage of Air Force brass that end up working as "consultants" in the defense industry to supplement their pensions from Uncle Sam? I wonder what they're expected to "deliver" to their new employees for those fat consultancy contracts?

Re:1st step

[AHuxley]

That worked well in the Cold War. The NSA, GCHQ produced as needed via a short list of trusted front companies or their own domestic "world leaders".
This was all good and neat - until the end of the cold war and start of the public war on terror.
US air and space needs where also well served and lots of cash flowed into domestic producers. Add in the export market to 2nd/3rd world friends and NATO - US profits where good
The US was still spending but how could your average multi national get limited US spending without a made in the USA/secure/political link to the needed paper work?
Find a US state in need, local political leaders in need and a small trusted firm in need with all the local security issues filled in and buy in.
Pump out a lot of paper work at the US gov for any local mil bidding - as a multi national you have the skills - but to the US tax payer your a small 100% US firm getting 'domestic' support in very hard times.
Now some smart group at the Air Force has finally tracked the huge supply lines - secure US hardware needs are been contracted around the world like car parts.
So can a gov in South Korea, Brazil, France, Gemany, Spain, the UK, Japan ... work out what the US is doing by watching their top tech exports?
What the USA do with 99% of an advanced drone/sat/space 'thing' while waiting for news about riots/looting/flooding/banking issues at some distant industrial estate?
So the US can hope the software is safe at local producers but how much of the "spacecraft as a platform" is now arriving in the US as a box, getting unpacked and been repacked as 100% made in the USA? Joined with a few other imported products and having software loaded might just pass "Made in the USA" laws on a fancy new box to be shipped to a US base/fort/camp?