2025-07-26 –, Track 1
As cyber adversaries expand their reach beyond terrestrial networks, the risk to space-based infrastructure—satellites, spacecraft, and critical communications has never been greater. Recent cyber incidents targeting satellite networks and space systems have demonstrated the potential for adversarial manipulation, data breaches, and operational disruption. These threats have significant implications for commercial enterprises, financial institutions, and national security.
Introduction
Cyber Threats are no longer confined to Earth. As adversaries deploy offensive cyber continue to capabilities disrupt, degrade, and manipulate space-based assets, the stakes for planetary defense, military operations and commercial space enterprises continue to rise. This is why Cyber Counterspace is so important.
Cyber Counterspace is the practice of employing offensive cybersecurity measures to exploit vulnerabilities in order to protect assets like satellites, spaceships and other organisational crown jewels in these space-based systems from active or imminent attacks.
However, in most missions, the security of these critical assets is still only considered after the optimisation of propulsion, navigation and payload systems. This prioritisation leaves aerospace organisations open to an onslaught of threats such as the manipulation of data, leading to the misinterpretation of asteroid impact or the hijacking of or remote command and control systems that alter the trajectory of the mission.
Emerging technologies such as Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) and digital twin technology offer step-change solutions. Drawing from Snode’s experience in operationalising and commercializing Snode Guardian, a patented real-time threat detection platform for encrypted communications, we know that innovations like these can outfox cyber adversaries and strengthen planetary defense initiatives.
In this talk, we will explore how offensive cybersecurity strategies can outmaneuver adversarial threats, ensuring the resilience of planetary defense missions, commercial space assets, and national security interests in orbit and beyond. The time to act is now.
Technical Deep Dive
- As an introduction, we will define various orbits and forms of counterspace.
- Discuss why cyber counterspace is important to all countries, including SA.
- We will breakdown basic space systems, including terrestrial components.
- Introduce a list of relevant frameworks developed for space cybersecurity.
- Get into the challenges, and opportunities, specific to cyber counterspace.
- Solutions to prevent counterspace attacks and improve space cybersecurity.
- Discuss what we are doing at Snode Technologies to innovate in this “space”.
Key takeaways
- Understand the space domain, systems and counterspace.
- Identify how it may exist or emerge in your threat landscape.
- Map potential opportunities to innovate in your organisation.
Nithen Naidoo is the CEO and Founder of Snode Technologies, a South African cyber defence firm. Nithen was AfricArena's Emerging Entrepreneur of 2021 and won the Black Industrialist Award for Innovation in 2024. Snode has won the South African Innovation Summit, MEST Africa Challenge, GISEC Global North Star awards and was listed by Enterprise Singapore as a global top 100 Deep Tech startup in 2020.