In 2022, the Department of Defense (DoD) released its Zero Trust Strategy to enhance the security and resiliency of its networks. Following DoD and Department of the Air Force requirements, the United States Space Force (USSF) has begun pursuing zero trust to protect its digitally reliant assets. At the same time, the USSF has also explored using hybrid architectures for its missions. For the USSF, a hybrid architecture for space is a way to leverage military, civil, and commercial space assets into a dynamic, integrated, and unified system. Such hybrid architectures can greatly enhance the execution, resilience, and effectiveness of USSF operations. But without zero trust, USSF operations using hybrid architectures are only as secure as the most vulnerable assets of its partners. The utilization of hybrid architectures and the implementation of zero trust must occur in tandem to maximize both effectiveness and security.

Key Points

• US space systems remain highly vulnerable to cyberattacks. While the ground and user segments of space systems are the most at-risk, space segments are increasingly exposed to compromise.
• Since 2022, the United States Space Force (USSF) has increasingly emphasized the transition to zero trust frameworks for securing space systems from cyber threats.
• At the same time, the USSF has explored the use of hybrid architectures for space to enhance the effectiveness and resilience of USSF operations and mission execution.
• Such hybrid architectures introduce greater complexity into zero trust implementation in terms of attack surfaces, assets and security postures, and incident response.
• The USSF can successfully implement zero trust across its hybrid architectures, but doing so will require a strategic vision for how modular assets interconnect in the security environment. This should include inventorying existing assets, prioritizing the most at-risk architectures, requiring a common interface, and regular red-teaming efforts.

Dr. Jason Blessing is a Research Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. His research expertise focuses on cybersecurity, defense, and international relations.