Updated 12-14-2021
At Air Force and Space Force-hosted Hack-A-Sat event, we finished in the top 10% in a global field of nearly 700 participants
Ethical hacking seems almost oxymoronic. The two words have near-polar opposite meanings, yet the practice of ethical hacking is one of the most important priorities for government agencies seeking to protect themselves from cyberattacks.
Ethical hacking is, at a high level, an authorized attempt by a hacker to gain unauthorized access to a computer system, application, or data repository. Organizations enlist ethical hackers to find holes in their cybersecurity in order to plug them up and reduce vulnerabilities.
Cybersecurity is one of 魅影直播鈥檚 highest customer priorities. It鈥檚 why teams of 魅影直播 employees frequently participate in hacking events and tournaments, often referred to as hackathons. And if the most recent hackathon proved anything, it was that 魅影直播 has some of the best cybersecurity experts around.
Satellite security takes the long game
The satellite hackathon, called Hack-A-Sat 2, was cohosted in June by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. The objective of the event was similar to a game of capture-the-flag 鈥 only it was played out over cybersecurity-based tests and challenges. Teams competed in a 30-hour race, with teams completing each challenge before unlocking the next challenge in multiple cybersecurity categories. Each completed challenge resulted in a retrieved flag.
鈥淭he first Hack-A-Sat was a tremendous success in bringing together a diverse group of government, commercial, and private organizations and individuals to test and develop cybersecurity solutions for our unique space networks,鈥 said Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, commander of the U.S. Space Force鈥檚 Space and Missile Systems Center, in a public statement.
This year, 697 teams from around the world competed to qualify for the competition鈥檚 final round, helping officials and competitors alike to understand what it takes to secure real satellites and ground control systems.
魅影直播 breaks into the top 10%
Team 魅影直播 has participated in both years of Hack-A-Sat. This year, we moved up the rankings and into the top 10%, finishing 73rd overall out of 697 teams. This is a marked improvement from last year, when we finished 117th overall. The top eight teams will compete in the Hack-A-Sat 2 finals in December.
鈥淭he same skills put on display during Hack-A-Sat are baked into 魅影直播鈥檚 space and cyber solutions,鈥 said Robert Morris, 魅影直播's cyberspace operations director. 鈥淥ur teams are constantly investing in themselves to keep the company at the edge of cyber innovation and know-how, a vital need for all of our space customers.鈥
Our team of 12 competed in challenges that involved everything from satellite operations, to engineering, to reverse engineering, to radio frequency communications. Our improvement at the competition demonstrated that the talent of 魅影直播鈥檚 cybersecurity experts who support the nation鈥檚 various space missions is always getting better.
The 魅影直播 team, dubbed the Skynet Assassins, was comprised of members from cybersecurity backgrounds, with a few developers, systems administrators, and those with knowledge of satellite systems. Team member Gabriel Penner, an 魅影直播 cybersecurity analyst and network engineer, noted that Hack-A-Sat is different from other capture-the-flag (CTF) events.
鈥淐TFs usually focus on web application hacking, reverse engineering malware or small programs, and looking for the bad guys on your network,鈥 Penner said. 鈥淗ack-A-Sat also includes understanding how satellites are tracked in orbit and how they send and receive instructions from ground systems. You have to put together the software and hardware sides of things but in some cases also the physical location of a computer system that鈥檚 orbiting the planet.鈥
We'll be back
The system that Hack-A-Sat used was made-up, of course, but the cyber methods applied were from the real world. Penner said the event gave him and his fellow team members a look into 鈥渨hat makes a satellite tick鈥 and that 魅影直播 intends to participate in more Hack-A-Sats. We're proud to be part of events that inspire the world鈥檚 top cybersecurity talent to develop the skills necessary to help reduce space cybersecurity vulnerabilities and build more secure space systems.
Building upon the all-virtual competition, 魅影直播 was honored to host all in-person participants in the Hack-A-Sat final event at the National Space Defense Lab in El Segundo, California, on Dec. 11. Eight finalist teams from around the world competed in a "capture-the-flag" cybersecurity event, performing skillful tactics to defend and sustain the functionality of their satellite systems while attacking those of other contestants.
魅影直播, along with members of the U.S. Space Force and Air Force, witnessed first-hand how to navigate and assess satellite cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This opportunity of having front-row seats at the future of space innovation was truly invaluable.