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In just a few weeks, five teams will line up and attempt to hack into an American satellite orbiting Earth. The government is not only okay with it, but welcomes the attacks, and will even reward the winning team (if we find one).
Later today, SpaceX will launch a new rocket that was initially scheduled for liftoff on Sunday, but it appears weather has put a wrench in those plans. The payload is a brand new satellite named Moonlighter.
In the words of The Register, Moonlighter is “the world’s first and only hacking sandbox in space”. The hardware was built by the Aerospace Corporation with assistance from the US Space Systems Command and the Air Force Research Laboratory, funded by taxpayer money. Its purpose is only to sit in class as hackers try to break into its systems.
important exercise
The goal of the exercise is simple: to elevate hacking training out of the lab and into real-world environments. One of the objectives of the exercise is to see if the satellite can survive being attacked by multiple teams simultaneously without being damaged or lost in the process.
Whoever succeeds in the exercise is looking at a $50,000 reward. The second-place team will receive $30,000 and the third-place team $20,000.
Speaking at last year’s DEF CON, Dr. James Pavur explained the challenges the teams would face, from “wicked-hard astrophysical problems related to the overall mechanics and positioning” to the fact that the satellite Multiple communication channels are needed that allow operators to reboot the system if necessary.
Having multiple channels also means that there are multiple avenues for threat actors to explore. Then there are the problems of solar radiation, extreme temperatures and other issues related to space, as well as the impending commercialization of the aerospace industry.
The competition will start in about two months and we look forward to hearing the results.
Via: Register
