The White House hosted a forum featuring the Office of the National Cyber Director, National Space Council, and private sector leaders to focus on cybersecurity in the space systems ecosystem according to the press release from the White House.  In the release, the White House said “The Space Forum was designed to facilitate robust discussion on this topic at the executive level and drive action to motivate critical cybersecurity investments across the space systems ecosystem” (The White House, 2023).  This forum signals that the current administration is engaged with heads of government agencies as well as the private sector to tackle the cybersecurity threats facing both civil and military space assets.

The release also stated that “U.S. Government officials emphasized the need to partner closely with the private sector to ensure the resiliency of the U.S. space ecosystem against cyber threats” (The White House, 2023).  The private sector will be a significant factor in the deterrence of cyber threats as well as protection and mitigation of cyber-attacks.  Following this meeting, several initiatives came out including future workshops with the space industry to understand policy, symposiums featuring stakeholders, and a report for the application of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework for commercial space applications.  The framework mentioned outlines cybersecurity outcomes, requirements, and suggested controls for the commercial space.

Works Cited

The White House. (2023, March 28). Readout of Space Systems Cybersecurity Executive Forum Hosted by the Office of the National Cyber Director and the National Space Council. Retrieved from White House Statements and Releases: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/28/readout-of-space-systems-cybersecurity-executive-forum-hosted-by-the-office-of-the-national-cyber-director-and-the-national-space-council/