May 2018 DISTRIBUTION 23
Cybersecurity concerns in the satellite industry – how vulnerable are you ?
by tomaž lovsin
In Asia-Pacific , the business of broadcasting content over satellite continues to promise a rosy future filled with opportunities , suggested Vivian Quenet , managing director and head of sales , Asia-Pacific , Arianespace .
Quenet , who joined the satellite launch services provider earlier this year , told APB : “ In regions such as Europe and the US , everything can basically be connected via terrestrial networks . This , however , is not the case in Asia-Pacific .
“ If you look at countries like Malaysia , Indonesia and the Philippines , which are interspersed with many islands , it is very difficult to put in place a cable or fibre network . If you want to deliver content , it is still easier to do so via satellite .”
Quenet also believes that a lot of the advantages that terrestrial networks — such as speed and latency — had over satellite have now fallen by the wayside , in part due to emerging technologies .
He identified these as inclusive of high throughput satellites ( HTS ), Ka-band , adaptive code modulation and optical links between satellites that can compete with fibre . “ For example , a link between Japan and New York could be faster over satellite thanks to optical link than it would be over fibre ,” Quenet explained . “ This is relevant because if you combine
As most , if not all , of a teleport ’ s or playout centre ’ s infrastructure is already based on IP , the question of cybersecurity inherently increases its importance .
lion annually by 2021 .
As most , if not all , of a teleport ’ s or playout centre ’ s infrastructure is already based on IP , the question of cybersecurity inherently increases its importance . The threat of various malware needs to be taken seriously and our industry will indeed need to focus more and more on the issue and address it sooner rather than later . The ostrich approach of burying our heads in the sand simply will not work here .
What about the ( in ) famous cloud ? Can it be a safe haven ? Unfortunately not , and it is likely that ransomware or other malware will not only continue to reign terror on the world , it will likely do so from the cloud . Because cloud computing businesses store huge amounts of data for companies , they actually make prime targets for cybercriminals .
The growth of the Internet of Things ( IoT ) has also been phenomenal for innovation . The IoT alone has played a humongous part in transportation route planning , accident prevention , safety and even the development of the autonomous car .
In our homes , the rise of Alexa , Cortana and Siri home devices have simplified ordering and ushered in a new era of voice control . Smart fridges , toasters and homes — almost everything is “ smart ” and connected to the Internet nowadays .
The bad news is that every connection is a doorway , and that is
Arianspace ready to provide launch pad for satellite launches in APAC
Vivian Quenet , the newly appointed managing director and head of sales , Asia-Pacific , Arianespace , believes that satellite will continue to have a prominent role in Asia-Pacific , including in the transmission of broadcast content . this with artificial intelligence ( AI ) and machine learning , the competitive advantage you are going to gain is the faster speed of sending information from point A to B .”
Another advantage that terrestrial networks had over satellite , was latency , or lack thereof . This , he suggested , is being gradually addressed by low-Earth orbit ( LEO ) constellations . “ With no latency and a link faster than fibre , HTS is helping to compete against 4G , and maybe 5G in the future . You also have new constellations , which , beyond integrating new technologies , also provide global coverage , which no mobile network has ever addressed .”
With these in mind , Arianspace is targeting a record number of launches this year ; last year , the company carried out 11 successful launches , signed 19 additional launch contracts , including three for the Vega C and Arian 6 launchers .
Ariane 6 and Vega C , according to Arianspace , will benefit from the opportunities offered by satellite global connectivity projects and Earth observation systems — within a context that forecasts “ unprecendented growth ” in the space sector over the next two decades .
In Asia-Pacific , these platforms will also allow broadcasters and telecommunication companies to launch new satellites at a very affordable price , and be very flexible in offering their services , highlighted Quenet .
Asia-Pacific , he reiterated , is a land of opportunities , driven by the fact that satellite connectivity remains critical in the region .
“ A lot of rural areas are still not properly served by cable or fibre networks . Developing countries such as Laos and Myanmar still need satellite to deliver content ,” Quenet concluded .
Imagine reading this headline : Major news channels and 13 other TV channels hacked at playout centre .
Thankfully , it is pure fiction and completely made up . But the title , though written in a yellow paperstyle , carries a grave warning . Just imagine a targeted attack on one of the larger teleports , playout centres or satellite operators . In fact , can you really imagine such a scenario ?
The year 2017 saw some of the biggest cyber threats in recent history , with millions of consumers and thousands of businesses affected by everything from the WannaCry attack to the Equifax and Uber data breaches .
Gartner reports that worldwide , information security spending will reach US $ 86.4 billion by the end of 2017 , and the 2017 Cybercrime Report anticipates cybercrime damages to cost the world $ 6 trilexactly what attackers are looking for . In 2016 , hackers used an army of connected Web of devices to shut down the Internet in major parts of the US , in what has now been called the Dyn DDoS Attack . Because many IoT products are manufactured with poor security , they become easy targets for deploying malicious software . And when you coordinate an attack between a million of them , the results can be catastrophic .
Traditionally , cybersecurity has been about the “ fortress metaphor ”, whereby intruders are kept at bay by building high walls and deep moats . Unfortunately , the reality of the world we live in now means that no matter how high the wall , malicious actors can simply build a higher ladder — or hire somebody to do it for them .
So what does this mean for our industry ? What we can do is enhance awareness , education and training of our employees and IT staff . Our employees are on the
The World Teleport Association ( WTA ) has announced that Speedcast has achieved provisional certification of three teleports in Australia : Bayswater ( Perth , Western Australia ), Henderson ( Western Australia ) and Mawson Lakes ( Adelaide , South Australia ) under the WTA Teleport Certification programme .
Introduced at IBC 2015 , the Certification programme currently has 16 teleports engaged in the quality evaluation process and certifications already issued to teleports owned by Eutelsat , du , Signalhorn , Optus , Globecomm , Horizon , Media Broadcast , Elara Comunicaciones , GlobalSat , Talia , Telenor , Vivacom , Cyta , Batelco and Arqiva .
To achieve provisional certification , a teleport operator completes a + 170-item questionnaire and submits it to WTA , which then analyses the data based on standards established by its certification committee , and issues the provisional certification based on the self-reported information .
For full certification , a WTA auditor visits the teleport , provides independent validation of the data submitted in the questionnaire , and identify additional factors that may positively or negatively front lines of this cybercrime battle and one avoided click can save hours of down time for IT . At the same time , our solutions need to evolve with the threats and provide multiple layers of protection .
With the New Year , we have a fresh start and a new security page to write for 2018 !
For more information about STN , visit www . stn . eu .
Tomaž Lovsin is CTO of STN , a provider of satellite and teleport services .
Speedcast teleports achieve WTA ’ s provisional certification
Three of Speedcast ’ s teleports in Australia have achieved provisional certification from the World Teleport Association . affect the score . Full certification is issued at a tier number from 1 through 4 , of which 4 represents the highest degree of excellence , and which remains in effect for three years .
Keith Johnson , COO of Speedcast , said : “ As Speedcast continues to expand our global infrastructure to support customers who are increasingly reliant on connectivity and higher throughput , we are focused on becoming the business partner of choice providing the highest quality of service .
“ The WTA certification programme demonstrates our focus on quality by meeting the requirements of the only certification programme for teleports , facilities and technical infrastructure in our industry .”
The teleport industry is facing increased competition for complex managed services , according to Robert Bell , executive director of WTA . These , he added , are sought for by satellite operators and cloud service providers , and are the specialty of operators like Speedcast . “ Certification defines the quality difference that will keep teleport operators competitive in the market ,” Bell concluded .