Hacking Satellites with $300 Worth of TV Gear

This student discovered that satellite security isn’t as stable as one may expect. So he decided to hack one.

Subscribe here:

Satellites are used for a wide variety of activities that most of us don't even recognize. From mobile phone networks to GPS capabilities, to a variety of IoT devices and operation of electrical grids, satellites are in control. Our global interconnectedness is deeply dependent on satellites — and they aren't as secure as we might expect them to be.

An exploitation of satellites’ weaknesses by hackers is not only possible, it’s probable. The US Air Force held a virtual version of the annual competition in 2020 at DEF CON, challenging hackers to reverse-engineer ground-based and on-orbit satellite system components to expose planted “flags” — or vulnerable software codes.

The idea is that the best defense can result in proactive offense. For researchers like James Pavur, a Rhodes Scholar and PhD candidate at Oxford University who focuses on satellite security, it's become his life's work to exploit and report potential vulnerabilities before hackers have the chance.

See the full article on satellite security here:

We created this story in partnership with Tomorrow Unlocked. Watch more stories of technology creating a better future on the Tomorrow Unlocked channel:

Up Next, Hacking Banks For Money:

Follow Freethink.
-Facebook:
-Twitter:
-Instagram:
-Website:

Join the Freethink forum:

hacker,hackers,hacking,penetration testing,white hat hacker,ethical hacker,white hat hackers,white hat hacking,what is ethical hacking,cyber threats,cyber threat,cyber attack,cyber attacks,information security,space,satellites,satellite securtiy,space securty,defcon,how satellites work,cybersecurity,how do satellites work,what is a satellite,hacking satellites,computer hacking,satellite internet,citizen scientist,communications technology,hack,gps,