Sunday, October 22, 2023

SpiderOak's OrbitSecure Agreement with the Space Development Agency

 

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18 October 2023

Faster, Better, Cheaper: Space Development Agency Awards SpiderOak an Agreement for Rapid Resilience Command and Control Research

 

Space Development Agency to Evaluate SpiderOak Cybersecurity Software

SDA will integrate the company’s OrbitSecure software with a new ground system for military satellites
Sandra Erwin

Zero-trust cybersecurity architecture. Credit: SpiderOak
WASHINGTON — The cybersecurity firm SpiderOak has signed an agreement with the U.S. Space Development Agency to research the use of the company’s software to protect ground systems that control military satellites.
  • SpiderOak, a software company focused on satellite cybersecurity, said Oct. 17 the agreement is a so-called Other Transaction Authority contract. 
  • It allows the Space Development Agency (SDA) to research the integration of the company’s OrbitSecure software suite into a military ground system currently in development called the Rapid Resilient Command and Control program. 
SDA, an agency under the U.S. Space Force, is building a large constellation of communications and missile-tracking satellites in low Earth orbit. 
The Rapid Resilient Command and Control program, or R2C2 — a new initiative led by the Space Force’s Space Rapid Capabilities Office — is an effort to develop a modern software-based ground control system for military satellites. 
  • SpiderOak’s technology is known as zero-trust cybersecurity, where all data is encrypted and the encryption keys are only known to the client.
  • Contract value not disclosed
A spokesman for SpiderOak said the company is not disclosing the value of SDA’s contract or the performance period. “They are variable and based on our success in delivering an exemplary zero-trust solution,” the spokesman said. “We expect a durable and growing project as we demonstrate OrbitSecure can safeguard satellite operations.”

SpiderOak previously demonstrated OrbitSecure on a Ball Aerospace prototype payload and on the International Space Station using an Amazon Web Services’ edge computing device provided by Axiom Space.
Dave Pearah, CEO of SpiderOak, said the company’s zero-trust mechanisms allow data to travel securely on networks and infrastructure with different owners and variable-security protocols. 
“The Space Force wants to ensure that communications are secure and there are redundancies in the event an adversary attempts to poke holes in communications networks, which are increasingly dependent on space,” he said.
Faster, Better, Cheaper: Space Development Agency Awards SpiderOak an Agreement for Rapid Resilience Command and Control Research
PR Newswire.
2023-10-17

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Space Development Agency has awarded SpiderOak, a leader in space cybersecurity software, an Other Transactional Authority agreement to research integration of the company's OrbitSecure software suite into the agency's contribution to the Space Force's Rapid Resilient Command and Control effort. 
SpiderOak's end-to-end zero-trust design can enhance the cybersecurity of command and control networks as the Space Force augments its traditional Satellite Control Network with commercial and allied networks.

OrbitSecure's end-to-end zero-trust design enhances the cybersecurity of command and control networks for satellites.

In partnership with the Space Development Agency, SpiderOak will research integrating OrbitSecure software to enable expanded government use of commercial, civil, and allied ground infrastructure. 
  • By employing OrbitSecure's patented variable-trust mechanisms that allow data to travel securely on networks and infrastructure with different owners and variable-security protocols, the project will provide insight into how to attain more resilient command and control.
  • As its name suggests, OrbitSecure is also purpose-built for the limited size, weight, power, and connectivity constraints of orbital operations, and has been deployed to satellites. 
  • OrbitSecure is the zero-trust solution that offers complete ground-satellite-ground spaceflight heritage. 
  • SpiderOak demonstrated OrbitSecure on a Ball Aerospace prototype payload in June 2023 and on the International Space Station using Amazon Web Services' Snowcone edge computing device provided by Axiom Space in July 2023.

SpiderOak's software secures any type of information transiting in or through space assets at the data level rather than the network level, allowing organizations like the Space Development Agency to securely employ commercial network and ground station options for command and control. This flexibility to dynamically augment the Satellite Control Network with non-government resources securely " called "hybrid-space architecture" " also promises to reduce data latency and achieve greater resiliency against potential cyber and physical threats to satellites.

As a software-only cybersecurity suite, OrbitSecure has demonstrated backward compatibility to existing space systems on orbit. These qualities, combined with its ability to reduce latency, mean the implementation leads to faster, better, and affordable secure communications. 

  • The project will complement SpiderOak's on-going work on a hybrid-space architecture demonstration for the Defense Innovation Unit that is demonstrating secure hybrid communications across interconnected commercial and government networks.

"The cyber threat to satellites is well documented and the threat of hypersonic missiles is imminent. Flight-proven solutions must be deployed rapidly to improve resilience through cyber-secured commercial ground systems," said Dave Pearah, CEO of SpiderOak. 
He added: "Through our innovative use of variable-trust mechanisms, we secure the efficient transmission of commands and other data, improving the responsiveness of space missions. 
These features are needed today when pacing threats like China are already inflicting damage to government networks."

About SpiderOak

SpiderOak is a 100% U.S.-owned and operated software company that delivers end-to-end cybersecurity and resiliency solutions for civil, military, and commercial space operations. 

Our commercially available products are built upon a foundation of zero-trust encryption, ephemeral cryptographic keys, and distributed ledger, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your most sensitive data in the space domain. 

For more information about SpiderOak products, services or business development opportunities, see www.spideroak.com.

Editorial Contact

For inquiries, please call SpiderOak at (866) 432-9888 ext. 6 or write PR@SPIDEROAK-INC.COM

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