NATO's satellite communications systems are susceptible to cyber attacks due to old and unpatched IT equipment, thinktank Chatham House has warned. The recent Cybersecurity of NATO's Space-based Strategic Assets report detailed how policymakers are failing to grasp the importance of cybersecurity in satellites. The use of GPS digital spoofing could lead to troops being rerouted by bad actors and the automated responses of missile defence systems being tampered with. "The US is not only a major arms supplier but also an important partner for NATO," said Dr Andrew Gilligan, director of Chatham House's Global Security Program.
NATO's satellite communications systems are susceptible to cyber attacks due to old and unpatched IT equipment, thinktank Chatham House has warned. The recent Cybersecurity of NATO's Space-based Strategic Assets report detailed how policymakers are failing to grasp the importance of cybersecurity in satellites. The use of GPS digital spoofing could lead to troops being rerouted by bad actors and the automated responses of missile defence systems being tampered with. Parts of NATO's technology supply chain that lack proper security could be remotely targeted, while the Russian military has reportedly already used such vulnerabilities to jam GPS signals to drones.