	Background

Satellites provide many significant services, including communication,  navigation, remote sensing, imaging, and weather and meteorological  support. Further, federal agencies use commercial satellites for services such as  communications, data transmission, and remote sensing. Ground  stations are important because they control the satellite and receive and  process data. Agencies Provide Physical Security for Communications Ground Stations

Federal agencies also control the security of the data ground stations that  send and receive data over satellites. Agencies Do Not Control All Aspects of Security and Have Limited Ability to Influence Availability and Security Requirements

Federal agencies rely on the commercial satellite service provider’s  security techniques for the TT&C links, satellites, and satellite control  ground stations. Given the importance of satellites to the  national economy, the federal government’s growing reliance on them, and  the many threats that face them, failure to explicitly include satellites in the  national approach to CIP leaves a critical aspect of the national  infrastructure without focused attention. Conclusions

Commercial satellite service providers use a combination of techniques to  protect their systems from unauthorized use and disruption, including  hardware on satellites, physical and logical controls at ground stations, and  encryption of the links. Satellites are not specifically identified as part of our nation’s critical  infrastructure protection approach, which relies heavily on public-private  partnerships to secure our critical infrastructures.
What GAO Found

Government and private-sector entities rely on satellites for services such as communication, navigation, remote sensing, imaging, and weather and meteorological support. Disruption of satellite services, whether intentional or not, can have a major adverse economic impact. Techniques to protect satellite systems from unauthorized use and disruption include the use of robust hardware on satellites, physical security and logical access controls at ground stations, and encryption of the signals for tracking and controlling the satellite and of the data being sent to and from satellites. When using commercial satellites, federal agencies reduce risks by securing the data links and ground stations that send and receive data. However, federal agencies do not control the security of the tracking and control links, satellites, or tracking and control ground stations, which are typically the responsibility of the satellite service provider. It is important to the nation's economy and security to protect against attacks on its computer-dependent critical infrastructures (such as telecommunications, energy, and transportation), many of which are privately owned. In light of the nation's growing reliance on commercial satellites to meet military, civil, and private sector requirements, omitting satellites from the nation's approach to protecting critical infrastructure leaves an important aspect of our nation's infrastructures without focused attention.