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Hackers invited to take over orbiting satellite

Published on: 18 Sep 2019

The US Air Force is showing the extent to which hackers can actually help to increase cyber security - by asking them to take over a real satellite.

Assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics Will Roper told Wired magazine hackers are being invited to come up with proposals on how they would break into one of the military devices, which will then be reviewed by security experts.

A shortlist will subsequently be drawn up before the eventual winners are flown to the 2020 Defcon conference in Las Vegas to participate in a live hacking competition on a real satellite heading towards the moon.

Mr Roper explained such initiatives can help by making common security pitfalls visible and allowing organisations to write stronger cyber defence programs.

"We have to get over our fear of embracing external experts to help us be secure. There is value in learning about potential risks. Good-faith research can be something really helpful," he added.

Earlier this year, hackers were invited to break into the system controlling an F-15 aircraft and discovered vulnerabilities so serious that they could have shut it down.