CYB-07

Cyber Sentinel

Protecting command links, ground segment and on-board software from interference and attack.

A satellite is only as safe as the link that commands it. Cyber Sentinel defends the whole chain — mission control, ground stations, uplink and downlink, and the software running on board — against jamming, spoofing, intrusion and supply-chain manipulation, and keeps the spacecraft controllable even while an attack is in progress.

  • Authenticated commanding and verified telemetry
  • Real-time jamming and spoofing detection
  • Signed, verifiable on-board software updates with rollback
  • Post-quantum key exchange and rehearsed incident playbooks

Link integrity

Every command is authenticated and every telemetry frame verified. Anomalous RF behaviour — power, timing, Doppler or modulation that does not fit the expected pass geometry — is detected in real time and separated into interference, jamming and spoofing.

Ground-segment defence

Mission control networks, scheduling systems and data archives are monitored for lateral movement, privilege escalation and unusual command sequences. Segmentation and least-privilege access keep an intrusion in one system from reaching the command path.

On-board software assurance

Flight software updates are signed, staged and verified before execution, with rollback to a known-good image. On-board monitors watch for memory, timing and behavioural deviations that indicate corruption, whether caused by an attacker or by radiation.

Post-quantum key management

Command and payload links move to post-quantum-safe key exchange with regular rotation, so that traffic recorded today cannot be decrypted by future computing capability.

Incident response

If an attack is confirmed, the programme executes a rehearsed playbook: switch to an alternate ground path, raise authentication strength, isolate the affected segment and preserve forensic evidence — without losing spacecraft control.