Identify Security Levels in Satellites Communication Links

In the last decade, a major change of paradigm known as new space create unprecedented opportunities for satellite related application. The stiff acceleration of the number of satellites launched every year is slowly followed by a rise of awareness about related cyber security. Many orbital platforms still do not implement a high level of security in their communication for both uplinks and downlinks. Potential vulnerabilities could occur during the operation life of the platform.

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Objectives

Evaluate the level of security in the different communication protocols and links. Answer questions such as “is it easy to take control of a satellite?” and “what operators are doing to avoid hacking?”. These reflections should be applied to the different types of satellites and a classification system should be provided. Think of an automatic way to test the security level of the communications.

Required skills

For the good realization of the project, it is recommended that the student have:

• General understanding of the orbital dynamics
• Programming skills in Java or python
• General understanding of cyber security
• Ability to appraise and adapt the project to fulfill the needs of the Space Domain operations team
• A sense of responsibility to provide the work quality to be used for everyday applications

      Place of work

      The student will have the opportunity to work in a stimulating environment with other students in different locations (Lausanne, Bern, Zurich) in Switzerland depending on the needs of the projects.