How Relentless Cyber-Attacks Are Knocking Satellites Out of Sight

According to the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ (CSIS) 2025 Space Threat Assessment, space systems’ susceptibility to cyberattacks has gained significant attention.

With approximately 720 cyber incidents reported across sectors in 2024 by the European Repository of Cyber Incidents (ERCI), five specifically targeted the space sector-a number consistent with 2023.

These attacks, often aimed at critical infrastructure like ground stations and satellite terminals, highlight an alarming trend: space is no longer a sanctuary but a contested battlefield.

Escalating Threats in the Space Domain

The report underscores the difficulty in tracking these year-over-year attacks due to unclear attacker motivations and the stealthy nature of persistent cyber threats, leaving the true intent and impact of many incursions shrouded in mystery.

Beyond cyberspace, the report details physical threats in orbit, with Chinese and Russian satellites demonstrating sophisticated maneuvering capabilities in low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO).

These maneuvers, indicative of maturing tactics and operator proficiency, could easily transition into counterspace operations-offensive actions targeting space assets.

Notably, China’s aggressive satellite launches and dual-use technologies, such as in-space servicing and debris removal systems, blur the line between commercial and military intent, risking miscalculations during crises.

Advanced Maneuvers and Dual-Use Tech Fueling Tensions

Meanwhile, Russia’s provocative actions, including the alleged deployment of counterspace weapons like Cosmos 2576 near U.S. satellite USA 314, and widespread GPS jamming in conflict zones from Ukraine to the Baltic, amplify global concerns.

The report also flags Russia’s potential development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon, though concrete evidence remains elusive, keeping U.S. and allied officials on edge.

The cyber front is equally perilous, with nation-states like Iran and North Korea intensifying espionage efforts against aerospace and satellite infrastructure.

Iran’s Peach Sandstorm campaign, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, targets multiple sectors for intelligence gathering, as detailed by Microsoft and Palo Alto Networks.

North Korea’s phishing schemes, masquerading as legitimate aerospace entities, aim to bolster its military capabilities, per a joint FBI advisory.

Adding complexity, attackers often publicize unverified exploits for propaganda or ransom, making it challenging to assess the true scope of damage to space systems.

Meanwhile, Russia openly deems U.S. commercial space assets supporting military operations as legitimate targets, a stance reiterated at the UN General Assembly in October 2024, further militarizing the domain.

Compounding these threats is the evolving role of space in warfare, where future conflicts will inevitably extend into orbit, with disruptions potentially mirroring terrestrial devastation.

The CSIS report also nods to unintentional risks like orbital debris and vulnerabilities in undersea cables, critical for global connectivity, which face exploitation by adversaries like China and Russia.

As space becomes integral to joint military operations and daily life, counterspace threats-ranging from cyber operations that disable spacecraft to physical jamming-aim to erode U.S. and allied resilience.

This increasingly hazardous domain demands urgent countermeasures and international dialogue to prevent escalation, as the line between peacetime and wartime in space continues to blur.