WASHINGTON — Space Force has established two new cyber squadrons to defend against potential cyberattacks during launches, the service’s Space Systems Command (SSC) announced today.
SSC Space Launch Delta (SLD) 30 at Vandenberg Space Force Base activated 630 Cyberspace Squadron (CYS) March 10 while SLD 45 at Patrick Space Force Base 645 CYS was reassigned from Delta 6 in September.
“Access to space is critical for our Nation’s national security, national defense and our economy,” Maj. Torius Davis, commander of 630 CYS, said. “Our adversaries know this, and are constantly looking for ways to deny, disrupt or destroy our ability to launch. Our new Defensive Cyber Operations Squadrons are just one of the ways the U.S. Space Force is staying ahead of the threat.”
Both ground terminals and satellites have become a burgeoning attack surface in recent years with significant attention paid to them.
“[A]s space operations have become more digitized, we’ve had to increase our security protection against a host of potential cyber-attacks. Much like the anti-jamming capabilities we build into our modern satellites, our new Cyberspace Squadrons will work to secure our launch systems from a myriad of potential threats, from hijacking satellites or ground systems to using malware to gain unauthorized access to our systems,” Lt. Col. John Quinn, 645 CYS commander, said.
This follows work done to protect launch sites from physical intrusions and even drone threats, which have been on the rise in recent years.