Microsoft brings its cybersecurity intelligence to Space ISAC

Update: December 9, 2023

Microsoft brings its cybersecurity intelligence to Space ISAC

It has become the Space ISAC’s newest founding member and the company highlights that it is “the first hyperscale cloud service provider to join this member organization” and says it will share its “unique global threat insights to protect critical infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity expertise in the space community”.

The mission of Space ISAC is “to disseminate timely and actionable information among member entities; and to serve as the primary communications channel for the [space] sector with respect to this information”.

Specifically, Bill Chappell, Microsoft’s vp of mission systems, will represent Microsoft on the Space ISAC founding board of directors. He will be alongside other organisations such as Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Booz Allen Hamilton, MITRE, SES, Lockheed Martin, Parsons Corporation, Purdue University, Space Dynamics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Aerospace Corporation, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and Northrop Grumman.

“Space cybersecurity is relatively unknown territory because we’re approaching and doing some things for the first time, fortunately through Space ISAC we have the opportunity to build a foundation for protection from a knowledge pool with deep security expertise,” said Frank Backes, Space ISAC Board of Directors Chair and Senior Vice President of Kratos Space Federal.

“Microsoft brings its longstanding history of proficiency in cybersecurity to its role as a founding member including its experience detecting and stopping attacks and eliminating persistent threats which brings clear value to our membership. With Azure Space, Microsoft has established itself as a key player in global space critical infrastructure and will represent in several key focus areas; Space Ground Systems, Cyber Security, Cloud Processing and Data Transport.”

Threat signals

The company says it spends over $1 billion dollars annually on cybersecurity and has a team of 3,500 global security experts across 77 countries. On a daily basis, it says, it analyses 8 trillion diverse threat signals across 200 global consumer and commercial services.

Through its founding membership of Space ISAC it says it will support the space community’s ability to prepare for and respond to cyber vulnerabilities, incidents and threats; disseminate timely information; and serve as the primary communications channel for the sector.

Tom Keane, the corporate vp of Microsoft Azure, writes:

“This level of investment and expertise will help support the mission of the Space ISAC and enhance the space community’s ability to detect threats, bolster protections and develop defense strategies.”

“Microsoft continues to build cloud capabilities to meet the unique needs of space – connectivity solutions, emulating space missions, discovering insights from satellite data and fueling innovation both on the ground and in orbit. We will continue to enable a groundbreaking space community by expanding our support and addressing evolving mission needs.”

You can read the Microsoft blog post making the announcement.

Azure Space

At the end of last year, Microsoft announced it was extending its Azure cloud computing service into space – with Azure Space addressing the growing commercial opportunities around space connectivity.

Anticipated market sectors identified by Redmond included agriculture energy, telecommunications and the public sector.