As the world's reliance on satellites intensifies, so too does the risk of sophisticated cyberattacks targeting space-based systems and critical infrastructure, with almost 240 cyber hacks targeting the space sector in the past two years.
That statistic, provided by the Centre for Security Studies in Zurich, demonstrates the growing threat to global security in space.
In the face of this so-called 'space terrorism', University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers have developed an innovative gamified approach to strengthen the cyber resilience of satellite cyber supply chains.
The game helps defenders anticipate, withstand, and recover from attacks that could disrupt critical services worldwide.
UniSA researchers Mona Kriesten, Dr Mamello Thinyane and Dr David Ormrod have adapted game design elements to improve real-world decision making when it comes to cyber threat intelligence (CTI).
CTI provides organisations with contextual, analysed data on potential or active threats. While it is widely used to react to cyber incidents, the UniSA team argues that its true value lies in proactive defence, particularly in the satellite cyber supply chain, where early warning and rapid responses are critical.
Kriesten, a cyber security industry practitioner who is undertaking a PhD at UniSA, says CTI contains rich insights, but many organisations struggle to translate this into timely, informed action.
"Gamification gives security teams a safe, engaging environment to practise making decisions under pressure, using CTI to guide their responses," she says.
The project draws on real-world attacks to create a hyper-realistic satellite cyber supply chain scenario.
By integrating attack tactics used in incidents such as the SolarWinds' cyber supply chain attack and the ViaSat satellite modem compromise in Ukraine, the game simulates a full attack lifecycle - from a stealthy initial breach to eventual disruption of satellite services.
Players are presented with different types of CTI - strategic, operational and tactical - which they must interpret to make decisions at each stage of the attack.
Their choices influence how effectively the system anticipates, avoids, withstands, recovers from, and evolves after the simulated threat.
To ensure accuracy and relevance during the development phase of the gamification solution, the team used an iterative, expert-informed design process. The approach stands at the core of the research, combining design science and human-centred design to enable development with integrated artefact evaluation.
Cybersecurity specialists, CTI analysts, space systems engineers and game designers were consulted, refining everything from narrative structure to intelligence cues.
The result is a user-centred decision-making analysis solution capable of highlighting skill gaps, testing response strategies, and helping defenders better understand the escalating complexities of satellite cyber supply chains.
UniSA Optus Chair in Cybersecurity, Associate Professor Mamello Thinyane, says the human element is often overlooked in cyber resilience research, despite defenders playing a critical role across all phases.
"Technology can only take us so far," he says. "Ultimately, people make the decisions that determine whether a system withstands an attack. Gamification offers a low-risk method to strengthen those human capabilities."
With cyber resilience being the goal of the CTI-informed decision-making, a new Cyber Resilience Lifecycle, adapted from existing international models, was developed.
"It identifies six distinct phases and maps how CTI can support defenders at each stage," Kriesten says.
"The lifecycle prompts players to recognise what good decision making looks like in each phase."
The researchers believe their approach has significant potential for analysis, training, and future development. Multi-player versions, alternative attack scenarios and refined CTI quality measures are already being considered.
"The research comes at a crucial time for the space industry," according to Assoc Prof Thinyane.
"As more nations and private companies expand into space, the attack surface increases. Strengthening cyber resilience is essential to protecting not only commercial interests, but also national security and public services.
The team's work marks one of the first global attempts to apply gamification specifically to CTI within satellite cyber supply chains.
'Leveraging gamification for cyber threat intelligence for resilience in satellite supply chains' was presented to the 23rd
