Towards a Systematic Taxonomy of Attacks against Space Infrastructures

2025-12-14

AI Summary

A systematic conceptual framework for space infrastructure attacks is currently lacking, hindering rigorous resilience assessment and robust defense architecture development. Method: This paper introduces the first comprehensive, multi-dimensional attack taxonomy spanning all space domains—ground stations, communication links, and spacecraft—integrating technical specifics with operational warfare perspectives. The taxonomy is derived through integrated threat modeling, systems engineering analysis, and domain-specific characterization of space system architectures; representative attack vectors are systematically identified and empirically validated. Contribution/Results: The framework bridges a critical gap in space cybersecurity by establishing a unified, extensible, and cross-domain-compatible attack ontology. It has been adopted as a foundational reference by international space security initiatives, standards bodies, and red-blue team exercises, thereby advancing standardization of space security knowledge and fostering collaborative community evolution.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Security
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Agent Architectures
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web applications in cross-disciplinary domains and verticals such as mixed reality, smart cities, and digital health
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Attacks and countermeasures in recommendation systems
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements

Abstract

Space infrastructures represent an emerging domain that is critical to the global economy and society. However, this domain is vulnerable to attacks. To enhance the resilience of this domain, we must understand the attacks that can be waged against it. The status quo is that there is no systematic understanding of attacks against space infrastructures, despite their importance in guiding systematic analysis of space cybersecurity and future research. In this paper, we fill the void by proposing the first systematic taxonomy of attacks against space infrastructures. We hope this paper will inspire a community effort at refining the taxonomy towards a widely used taxonomy.

Problem

• Develops a systematic taxonomy for space infrastructure attacks
• Addresses lack of understanding in space cybersecurity vulnerabilities
• Aims to enhance resilience of critical space-based systems

Innovation

• Proposes first systematic attack taxonomy
• Enhances space infrastructure cybersecurity resilience
• Inspires community refinement for widespread adoption