DHS S&T Highlights New SPARTA Resources for Defending Spacecraft Against Cyberattacks

https://www.executivegov.com/articles/dhs-st-space-cybersecurity-sparta-framework

Publish Date: 2026-06-12 16:49:00

DHS S&T is backing research to defend space systems from cyberattacks
The work has produced two additions to The Aerospace Corporation’s SPARTA framework
DHS pointed to a 2022 attack on a commercial satellite network as proof that space-based strikes can disrupt ground infrastructure

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate is supporting research to harden space systems against cyberattacks, citing the growing dependence of U.S. critical infrastructure on satellites and the networks that control them.

S&T said Wednesday it helped publish two resources through The Aerospace Corporation’s Space Attack Research and Tactic Analysis, or SPARTA, framework, a set of behavioral threat indicators released in April 2025 and a countermeasure prioritization methodology issued in March, and noted that an open-source reference implementation of threat detectors will follow in the coming months.

S&T’s space cybersecurity push reflects DHS’ broader investment in advanced technology and cyber defense — priorities backed by a FY26 budget increase of 65 percent. To learn how industry can support these strategic priorities, register now for the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 12. The event will convene DHS decision-makers for keynotes, panel discussions and industry-led Q&A sessions.

Ernest Wong, the directorate’s technical lead on the effort, said the resources mark a first step toward lowering barriers so space systems can withstand current and emerging cyberthreats.

Why Is DHS Focused on Space Systems?

The directorate traced the urgency to a 2022 cyberattack — the strike on a commercial satellite communications network at the outset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — which showed how an assault on space assets can ripple into terrestrial infrastructure. The research supports the civil cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience missions of DHS and its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.