Cybersecurity for Machines in Satellite–Terrestrial Networks

Integrated satellite–terrestrial networks promise seamless connectivity for machines everywhere but also expose them to new vulnerabilities, adversaries, and security challenges. The new opportunities – global connectivity and redundancy – assure availability and cost‐efficiency but come with the costs of added complexity due to integration, an extended threat landscape, and restricted cybersecurity solutions. In this chapter, we review security threats and known incidents for machine‐type communications in integrated satellite–terrestrial networks. We look at technologies and characteristics of satellite communications to understand the fundamental limitations and challenges and also opportunities for security. We discuss a security architecture and identify essential requirements and building blocks to protect space‐connected machines and applications. We also highlight new technology and research areas that have the potential to make space‐connected machines and integrated networks even more reliable, resilient, and trustworthy or even more complex and vulnerable.