Description
The objectives of the activity are to identify the needs and requirements for new security assessment capabilities for satcom systems and their components, define related architectural solutions and develop prototypes of the main components of these capabilities.Targeted Improvements: Enabling testing, verification and validation of advanced technologies in the domain of cybersecurity, modern telecom and quantum security (Quantum Key Distribution, Quantum Random Number Generator, etc) for enhancing secure satellite telecommunications in ESA Member States.Description: In an increasingly digital world, security concerns are becoming driving market needs. New approaches, like the use of COTS in space potentially bring vulnerabilities of the IT world into space. New technologies, e.g. 5G, interconnect further terrestrial networks with space, increasing even more the attack surface. As threats are continuously evolving, it is crucial that innovative security solutions and technologies for satcom are designed and developed. These solutions will for instance rely on post-quantum cryptography, quantum key distribution, quantum randomness, etc. A major step in the developmentof these solutions is to perform a comprehensive security assessment, testing and validation of the solutions and of their integration in satellite telecommunications components. Due to the specificities of the targeted products, protocols and services, the existing security assessment solutions are not enough to address these security assessment needs. These new needs can be achieved using virtualised representative, cost-effective security assessment laboratories that will emulate the targeted environment(s). Such environments can also be used to support the definition and validation of new security standards, as well as validating whether new solutionssatisfy standard/certification requirements. Several initiatives in ESA MSs are also currently under preparation for the development and deployment of non-geostationary/multi orbit constellations satcom systems for providing secure and non-secure services. These systems of systems will rely on complex and innovative security architectures to be designed and validated.The objective of this activity is in a first step to identify and consolidate the needs in the Industry of ESA MSs for new operational security assessment, testing, verification and validation capabilities arising from the development of innovative security solutions to be used incurrent and future satellite communications. Testing and validation capabilities will include new technologies like quantum ones (e.g. QKD). Validation shall be performed against relevant standards and certification frameworks. Such capability may also be envisaged to support the design, testing and validation of the complex security architectures and components of the upcoming satellite constellations systems. Opened to private actors as well as in support to on-going ESA projects, this capability could undertake assessment at any stage of development of the target solutions. Following a comprehensive system study including market opportunity and cost analysis, the second step of the activity will be dedicated to the prototyping of the pertinent capability elements, including those in support of future standardisation such as for QKD.