CriSEs: Cybersecurity for small-Satellite ecosystem - state-of-the-art and open challenge

In the last 20 years, cyber-attacks to satellite missions increased exponentially, mainly exploiting vulnerabilities in the ground segment (mostly computer networks exploits). In the next decade, about 50 thousands of small-satellites will orbit around the earth, mostly as element of large constellations. These small-satellites, the ground stations and user segment services are produced by a global, high revenue, market by assembling and developing COTS and open source technologies, cloud computing services and artificial intelligence solutions. The adoption of this cutting-edge technologies introduces new vulnerabilities and threats, which increase the exposure to cyberattacks of the space and user segment. The analysis of the vulnerabilities and cyber-threats introduced by the use of cutting-edge technologies and by the policies adopted in the management of the small-satellite ecosystem supply chain reveal that there are many challenges to be addressed in order to implement secure small-satellite missions. Example of challenges are explainable AI, detection of adversarial attacks, self-protection and secure software/firmware updates in resource constrained environments.