In short, because commercialization of space is growing, experts feel the use of commercial-of-the-shelf internet connected. equipment, coupled with the number of “players” entering the game, Germany (for one) feels these companies (players) might use cheaper parts, and might need patching upgrades (post launch). This would increase the risk to hackers. What Germany is proposing is to issue some standards/guidelines for use during the various phases of development, launch and orbit. For me, this article resonates with the last class. This article mentions supply chain, etc. I find this interesting because while I do agree with Germany regarding developing standards, the concern I would have is enforcement. Guidelines might help slow down the hackers, but guidelines are only as good as if they are used. If a company is wanting to get a competitive edge over their competition, they might be willing to cut corners, or not adhere to the guidelines, in order to beat their competition. What I see happening is payloads being placed in orbit, having been developed to lesser standards and quality, creating a potential target for a hacker and allowing the hacker to potentially “take out” another payload, and creating debris, etc. When faced with this scenario, standards/guidelines might not be such a bad idea.

Germany Offers Model for Space-Industry Cybersecurity Standards – WSJ