Satellites are useful advances in technology. The signals we get from them bring us television channels, internet connections, weather forecasts and more information about the universe beyond the Earth. Many countries also use satellites to their advantage as it pertains to military power and strategy. Military satellites often gather information about the geographic features of another country, and some may even intercept signals from other countries which lead to classified information being leaked to the listener. This begs one important question: Is a satellite a good hacker target?
If a hacker could gain access to the signal controls of a satellite, they could, theoretically, control that satellite's signals. They could use the signals of that satellite to gather or send important information to other people, or receive that information themselves. Communication satellites are just highly-advanced radio signal repeaters. A signal goes from the Earth to the Satellite and bounces back to receptors on earth. There is really no limit to the kind of information a hacker could gain access to and use to their advantage with the right stolen signals.
There are several ways that a hacker can compromise the function of a satellite once they have gained access to the signals necessary to do so. They could create what is called a Double Illumination, where there are two or more carriers are simultaneously on the same frequency. This causes a quite a bit of trouble for those on the frequency, such as complete audible failure of the satellite signals, and a total disruption of their service entirely. This type of disruption is often caused accidentally when a satellite service user moves or tunes a dish, and wipes out someone else's service. If it can be done accidentally, a hacker could certainly exploit this discrepancy on purpose.
In 2007, a terrorist group in Sri Lanka, called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, hacked into a US satellite to send radio signals and televsision broadcasts to other nations around the world. The satellite that was hacked by the LTTE was made and owned by Intelstat, a US satellite manufacturer. Intelstat did confirm that the Sri Lankan terrorists accessed their satellite communications systems without approval, and illegally transmitted signals to other countries.
Finally, the most devastating way for a hacker to attack a satellite would be to attack the satellite itself with weapons. Only the US, Russia and China have successfully destroyed another country's satellite in outer space. A hacker could gain access to a supply of anti-satellite missiles and launch a crippling attack on any choice of satellites they can find within the range of the weapons. The security behind these weapons is minimal at best. Only a password stands in the way of a hacker and a plethora of destructive bombs that could be used to demolish a satellite and ruin the signals that satellite was carrying.
In closing, satellites are great targets for hackers, which is bad for the general public. The security behind them is low and the possibilities to use a satellite for are endless.
There are several ways that a hacker can compromise the function of a satellite once they have gained access to the signals necessary to do so. They could create what is called a Double Illumination, where there are two or more carriers are simultaneously on the same frequency. This causes a quite a bit of trouble for those on the frequency, such as complete audible failure of the satellite signals, and a total disruption of their service entirely. This type of disruption is often caused accidentally when a satellite service user moves or tunes a dish, and wipes out someone else's service. If it can be done accidentally, a hacker could certainly exploit this discrepancy on purpose.
In 2007, a terrorist group in Sri Lanka, called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, hacked into a US satellite to send radio signals and televsision broadcasts to other nations around the world. The satellite that was hacked by the LTTE was made and owned by Intelstat, a US satellite manufacturer. Intelstat did confirm that the Sri Lankan terrorists accessed their satellite communications systems without approval, and illegally transmitted signals to other countries.
Finally, the most devastating way for a hacker to attack a satellite would be to attack the satellite itself with weapons. Only the US, Russia and China have successfully destroyed another country's satellite in outer space. A hacker could gain access to a supply of anti-satellite missiles and launch a crippling attack on any choice of satellites they can find within the range of the weapons. The security behind these weapons is minimal at best. Only a password stands in the way of a hacker and a plethora of destructive bombs that could be used to demolish a satellite and ruin the signals that satellite was carrying.
In closing, satellites are great targets for hackers, which is bad for the general public. The security behind them is low and the possibilities to use a satellite for are endless.
Christina Smith is a freelance writer when she's not enjoying her regular day job. Christina has been an insurance broker for twenty years, and presently works for the Kanetix car insurance quotes service. At Kanetix, you can compare top auto insurance quotes for your car in minutes.
Can people do any better?
ReplyDeleteI remember the movie Charlie's Angels 1. I think they used the satellite to track Charlie.. hehe :)