Satellite-Based Communications Security: A Survey of Threats, Solutions, and Research Challenges

Satellite-based Communication systems are gaining renewed momentum in Industry and Academia, thanks to innovative services introduced by leading tech companies and the promising impact they can deliver towards the global connectivity objective tackled by early 6G initiatives. On the one hand, the emergence of new manufacturing processes and radio technologies promises to reduce service costs while guaranteeing outstanding communication latency, available bandwidth, flexibility, and coverage range. On the other hand, cybersecurity techniques and solutions applied in SATCOM links should be updated to reflect the substantial advancements in attacker capabilities characterizing the last two decades. However, business urgency and opportunities are leading operators towards challenging system trade-offs, resulting in an increased attack surface and a general relaxation of the available security services. In this paper, we tackle the cited problems and present a comprehensive survey on the link-layer security threats, solutions, and challenges faced when deploying and operating SATCOM systems.Specifically, we classify the literature on security for SATCOM systems into two main branches, i.e., physical-layer security and cryptography schemes.Then, we further identify specific research domains for each of the identified branches, focusing on dedicated security issues, including, e.g., physical-layer confidentiality, anti-jamming schemes, anti-spoofing strategies, and quantum-based key distribution schemes. For each of the above domains, we highlight the most essential techniques, peculiarities, advantages, disadvantages, lessons learned, and future directions.Finally, we also identify emerging research topics whose additional investigation by Academia and Industry could further attract researchers and investors, ultimately unleashing the full potential behind ubiquitous satellite communications.Comment: 72 page

An overview of the Copernicus C4I architecture

The purpose of this thesis is to provide the reader with an overview of the U.S. Navy's Copernicus C4I Architecture. The acronym "C4I" emphasizes the intimate relationship between command, control, communications and intelligence, as well as their significance to the modern day warrior. Never in the history of the U.S> Navy has the importance of an extremely flexible C4I architecture been made more apparent than in the last decade. Included are discussions of the Copernicus concept, its command and control doctrine, its architectural goals and components, and Copernicus-related programs. Also included is a discussion on joint service efforts and the initiatives being conducted by the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. Finally, a discussion of the Copernicus Phase I Requirements Definition Document's compliance with the acquisition process as required by DoD Instruction 5000.2 is presented.http://archive.org/details/overviewofcopern00dearLieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Secrecy Analysis on Network Coding in Bidirectional Multibeam Satellite Communications

Network coding is an efficient means to improve the spectrum efficiency of satellite communications. However, its resilience to eavesdropping attacks is not well understood. This paper studies the confidentiality issue in a bidirectional satellite network consisting of two mobile users who want to exchange message via a multibeam satellite using the XOR network coding protocol. We aim to maximize the sum secrecy rate by designing the optimal beamforming vector along with optimizing the return and forward link time allocation. The problem is nonconvex, and we find its optimal solution using semidefinite programming together with a 1-D search. For comparison, we also solve the sum secrecy rate maximization problem for a conventional reference scheme without using network coding. Simulation results using realistic system parameters demonstrate that the bidirectional scheme using network coding provides considerably higher secrecy rate compared with that of the conventional schem

Joint All Domain Command & Control (JADC2) Naval Analysis

NPS NRP Technical ReportThe Navy needs to play a vital role in JADC2 and to serve as a central pillar. Leveraging extensive knowledge of agile C2 and rapid organization reconfiguration, along with experience with mission command and C2 knowledge flow integration, this project seeks to address questions regarding how the Navy should prepare for this role; how naval fires and assets should cross COCOMs; how the Navy Tactical Grid should integrate into the Joint Grid; and how Service unique knowledge needs and capabilities should balance with important goals of convergence, commonality and interoperability.N2/N6 - Information WarfareThis research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Enabling Future Science and Human Exploration with NASA's Next Generation near Earth and Deep Space Communications and Navigation Architecture

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is studying alternatives for the United States space communications architecture through the 2040 timeframe. This architecture provides communication and navigation services to both human exploration and science missions throughout the solar system. Several of NASA's key space assets are approaching their end of design life and major systems are in need of replacement. The changes envisioned in the relay satellite architecture and capabilities around both Earth and Mars are significant undertakings and occur only once or twice each generation, and therefore is referred to as NASA's next generation space communications architecture. NASA's next generation architecture will benefit from technology and services developed over recent years. These innovations will provide missions with new operations concepts, increased performance, and new business and operating models. Advancements in optical communications will enable high-speed data channels and the use of new and more complex science instruments. Modern multiple beam/multiple access technologies such as those employed on commercial high throughput satellites will enable enhanced capabilities for on-demand service, and with new protocols will help provide Internet-like connectivity for cooperative spacecraft to improve data return and coordinate joint mission objectives. On-board processing with autonomous and cognitive networking will play larger roles to help manage system complexity. Spacecraft and ground systems will coordinate among themselves to establish communications, negotiate link connectivity, and learn to share spectrum to optimize resource allocation. Spacecraft will autonomously navigate, plan trajectories, and handle off-nominal events. NASA intends to leverage the ever-expanding capabilities of the satellite communications industry and foster its continued growth. NASA's technology development will complement and extend commercial capabilities to meet unique space environment requirements and to provide capabilities that are beyond the commercial marketplace. The progress of the communications industry, including the emerging global space internet segment and its planned constellations of 100's of satellites offer additional opportunities for new capability and mission concepts. The opportunities and challenges of a future space architecture require an optimal solution encompassing a global perspective. The concepts and technologies intentionally define an architecture that applies not only to NASA, but to other U.S. government agencies, international space and government agencies, and domestic and international industries to advance the openness, interoperability, and affordability of space communications. Cooperation among the worlds space agencies, their capabilities, standards, operations, and interoperability are key to advancing humankind's understand of the universe and extending human presence into the solar system

A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF INTERNET OF THINGS WAVEFORMS FOR A DOD LOW EARTH ORBIT CUBESAT MESH NETWORK

The Department of Defense (DOD) requires the military to provide command and control during missions in locations where terrestrial communications infrastructure is unreliable or unavailable, which results in a high reliance on satellite communications (SATCOM). This is problematic because they use and consume more digital data in the operational environment. The DOD has several forms of data capable of meeting Internet of Things (IoT) transmission parameters that could be diversified onto an IoT network. This research assesses the potential for an IoT satellite constellation in Low Earth Orbit to provide an alternative, space-based communication platform to military units while offering increased overall SATCOM capacity and resiliency. This research explores alternative IoT waveforms and compatible transceivers in place of LoRaWAN for the NPS CENETIX Ortbial-1 CubeSat. The study uses a descriptive comparative research approach to simultaneously assess several variables. Five alternative waveforms—Sigfox, NB-IoT, LTE-M, Wi-sun, and Ingenu—are evaluated. NB-IoT, LTE-M, and Ingenu meet the threshold to be feasible alternatives to replace the LoRaWAN waveform in the Orbital-1 CubeSat. Six potential IoT transceivers are assessed as replacements. Two transceivers for the NB-IoT and LTE-M IoT waveforms and one transceiver from U-blox for the Ingenu waveform are assessed as compliant.Lieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Multi-channel Stochastic Resource Allocation and Dynamic Access Scheduling

Modern communication systems often have the ability to transmit signals on multiple communication mediums (e.g., RF, visible light) or interfaces (e.g., MAC layer protocols) at the same time. While each channel has different characteristics, a centralized controller with channel condition information will be able to schedule the resource allocated to each channel to achieve various optimization criteria. In this thesis, we focus on two usage scenarios: Indoor hybrid free space optical (FSO)-WiFi femtocells and multi-channel satellite communication (SATCOM). For the Indoor hybrid free space optical (FSO)-WiFi femtocells, a smart network controller is designed to determine which channel/interface to use for a specific user/time slot combination to maximize some pre-specified objectives such as load balance. In particular, this problem is modeled as a dynamic scheduling problem, which is a Markov decision process problem that is solved using a deep-Q reinforcement learning (RL) framework. For the SATCOM scenario, a smart network controller is proposed to transmit information securely on different channels to mitigate jamming and eavesdropping attacks. The proposed approaches combine elements from game theory and information theory to provide provably secure protocols from an information theoretic viewpoint