US diplomacy stresses the importance of cybersecurity for outer space

The U.S. State Department has recently released its Strategic Framework for Space Diplomacy, emphasising cybersecurity’s importance in space diplomacy. This move by the Biden administration is intended to strengthen the security of space equipment from cyberattacks, as China and Russia are key competitors to the United States in space.

Several cyberattacks have already occurred, including a Russian attack on a satellite broadband service during the Ukraine invasion. In addition, the annual threat assessment by the U.S. intelligence community and documents leaked on Discord have shown that China is reportedly developing hacking tools to take over satellites amid wars.

The Strategic Framework for Space Diplomacy focuses on cooperation with industry on cybersecurity in outer space.

The White House will also add outer space to critical infrastructure by rewriting a 2013 directive. This highlights the urgency of the situation.