The GAO report, Critical Infrastructure Protection: Commercial Satellite Security Should Be More Fully Addressed, prepared at the request of Senator Collins, indicates that as the U.S. commercial satellite infrastructure is becoming increasingly essential to government operations, it is also becoming increasingly vulnerable to threats.
"Although, military satellites are often ‘hardened' to protect against unauthorized access or disruption, commercial satellites almost invariably are not, and there appears to be no national or even general industry standard for the protection of commercial satellites," said Senator Collins. "A systematic, intentional and determined attack upon American commercial satellite systems could have alarming economic and human consequences."
The federal government, civilian agencies, and the military, are highly dependent upon commercial satellite services. During Desert Shield/Desert Storm commercial satellites were used for 45 percent of all communications between the U.S. and the Persian Gulf.
"In my view, now is the proper time to examine what steps are being taken to protect satellite systems, and what additional measures government agencies and the private sector can and should adopt in order to ensure that this vital infrastructure is protected to a degree commensurate with the threat."
The report also includes several recommendations. Specifically, GAO recommends that the draft policy developed by the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) on assurance of non-national security information and the review of U.S. space policies recommended by the President's National Security Advisor both be expanded to address security concerns with commercial satellites. In addition, GAO recommends that the National Security Advisor, the Homeland Security Director, and the Special Advisor to the President for Cyberspace Security consider reorganizing the satellite industry as a new infrastructure or part of an existing infrastructure in the national critical infrastructure strategy.