Cybersecurity for Space: Protecting the Final Frontier

This is the first book of its kind to cover the unique challenges of creating, maintaining, and operating a system that operates in both outer space and cyber space. It covers the impact that cyber threats can have on space systems and how the cybersecurity industry must rise to meet the threats.

Space is one of the fastest growing military, government, and industry sectors. Because everything in today’s world exists within or connected to cyberspace, there is a dire need to ensure that cybersecurity is addressed in the burgeoning field of space operations.

The author, who has spent seven years in the US Marine Corps and was originally involved in satellite communications and later cyber operations, is now a seasoned cybersecurity practitioner currently implementing cybersecurity vision and strategy to a large portfolio of systems and programs, many focused specifically in space. A published academic and experienced professional, he brings a practical, real-world and tempered approach to securing space vehicles and their systems.

What You Will Learn

• Understand what constitutes a space system and the challenges unique to operations of all spacecraft
• Get introduced to various space vehicles and their unique constraints and challenges
• Be aware of the physical and cyber threats to the space vehicle and its ability to fly and orbit
• Know the physical and cyber vectors from which threats may manifest
  
• Study the micro- and macro-analysis provided of space system attack scenarios
• Be familiar with the high-level problems of cybersecurity in the space domain

Who This Book Is For

This book is written for two audiences: those with a background in space operations as well as those in cybersecurity. It offers the guidance needed to understand the unique challenges to space operations that affect the implementation of cybersecurity.

Dr. Jacob G. Oakley spent over seven years in the US Marines and was one of the founding members of the operational arm of the Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command at Ft. Meade, Maryland, leaving that unit as the senior Marine Corps operator and a division technical lead. After his enlistment he wrote and taught an advanced computer operations course, eventually returning back to mission support at Ft. Meade. He later left government contracting to do threat emulation and red teaming at a private company for commercial clients, serving as the principal penetration tester and director of penetration testing and cyber operations. He is currently working as a cyber SME for a government customer. He completed his doctorate in IT at Towson University, researching and developing offensive cybersecurity methods, and is the author of Professional Red Teaming: Conducting Successful Cybersecurity Engagements (Apress) as well as Waging Cyber War: Technical Challenges and Operational Constraints (Apress).