Prize is no small constellation
Europe’s frustrated telecom and networking engineers could earn £40,000 (€45,0000) by turning their schadenfreude into cash, thanks to a new security challenge set by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), which is running its fourth annual Hack-A-Sat competition. Described as an opportunity for hackers, researchers and space enthusiasts to focus their thinking on solving space systems cyber security challenges, it is a way of defending this vital industry in an increasingly hostile geo-political environment.
“We are trying to build trust in a way that is cool and attracts the best talent to work on real-world cyber security issues for space security,” said AFRL Information Directorate computer scientist Steve Colenzo, “this type of competitive environment brings together the hacker and research communities to take on challenges we are facing with future capabilities in space and provide critical data and information for building out more resilient capabilities for our war fighters.”
Registration has already opened for the virtual qualification round of the competition. The teams will compete in a jeopardy-style format, earning points based on speed and accuracy. The top five teams from the qualification event will advance to the Hack-A-Sat 4 finals in the Aerospace Village at DEF CON 31, an annual hacker’s convention in Las Vegas, running 11-13 August 2023. Teams will then compete in an attack/defend style capture-the-flag competition that incorporates communication with an actual in-orbit satellite named Moonlighter. The top three ranked teams at the final event will receive $50,000 for first place, $30,000 for second place and $20,000 for third place.
Moonlighter, the on-orbit satellite used for Hack-A-Sat 4, was designed and built to advance security researcher knowledge and skills in securing space systems. Moonlighter is scheduled to launch in early summer 2023 for the Hack-A-Sat finals. “Moonlighter is an excellent example of industry-government collaboration and a major step forward in our quest to advance space cybersecurity,” said Colonel Kenny Decker, division chief, Integration and Futures Directorate at the US Space Force. “It is purpose-built to provide security researchers access and opportunities like Hack-A-Sat to gain experience with on-orbit space systems. With the launch of Moonlighter, we’ve entered a new era of space cybersecurity.”