SpiderOak, Space Development Agency collaborate to enhance space cybersecurity
The Space Development Agency (SDA) has awarded SpiderOak, a space cybersecurity software provider, an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement. This agreement aims to explore the incorporation of its OrbitSecure software suite into the agency’s contribution to the Space Force’s Rapid Resilient Command and Control program.
SpiderOak provides cybersecurity and resiliency solutions for civil, military and commercial space operations. Its commercial products are built upon the foundation of zero-trust encryption and distributed ledger technology.
SpiderOak’s end-to-end zero-trust design aims to enhance the cybersecurity for the Space Force’s command and control networks as they expand their Satellite Control Network with commercial and allied networks.
SpiderOak says its software, OrbitSecure, addresses the security challenges of orbital operations. It enables secure data transfer across networks and infrastructure with varying ownership and security protocols. The software is also a purpose-built solution for orbital operations, designed to meet limited size, weight, power and connectivity constraints.
SpiderOak’s software offers a data-level security solution, allowing organizations like the Space Development Agency to leverage commercial network and ground station options. The company says this “hybrid-space architecture” enhances the Satellite Control Network with non-government resources, potentially reducing data latency and bolstering resilience against cyber and physical threats to satellites.
In July 2023, SpiderOak successfully demonstrated its OrbitSecure technology on the International Space Station (ISS) using Amazon Web Services (AWS) Snowcone edge computing technology. The company said this milestone, achieved in partnership with Axiom Space, validates the potential of containerized workloads in a space environment, highlighting a secure and software-defined approach for space operations.
A month before that demo, SpiderOak also demonstrated OrbitSecure on a Ball Aerospace prototype payload in June of 2023. The company says it conducted rigorous testing of its end-to-end data security solution on a Ball Aerospace prototype payload in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
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