New research reports more than 237 cyber operations struck space infrastructure from 2023 to 2025.
Analysts warn hackers increasingly threaten satellites and communication networks during armed conflicts.
The Center for Security Studies at ETH Zürich compiled incidents from news, forums, and social media posts.
Conflict Triggers Escalating Attacks on Space Assets
The study recorded 72 cyber operations in June 2025 during the Israel-Iran escalation.
Researchers say this spike accounted for almost one-third of all identified incidents.
The report states cyber strikes on space systems now mirror patterns seen during the Ukraine war.
Pro-Palestinian groups carried out nearly every identified attack on the space sector.
The analysis notes Hamas lacks satellites, and pro-Israeli activity may have occurred covertly.
Ten attacks erupted after Hamas’s October 7 incursion in 2023 and hit targets such as the Israel Space Agency.
Hacktivists also struck Rafael, Elbit Systems, and international organizations, including NASA.
The report says attackers focused on aerospace and defense firms because they supply military hardware.
More than 70 percent of incidents used denial-of-service attacks to overwhelm networks and disrupt access.
Researchers describe DDoS attacks as quick, simple, and sometimes used to mask deeper intrusions.
Other operations included data breaches, system intrusions, and leaked or sold information.
Some releases aligned with major events in the conflict, though verification remained difficult.
The study concludes the real number of attacks likely exceeds publicly known cases.
Cyber Threats Emerge as Permanent Feature of Space Conflict
Israel and Iran exchanged cyber strikes for 12 days in June 2025, prompting the largest spike in activity.
Pro-Iranian and pro-Palestinian groups targeted Israel simultaneously during the escalation.
The report says both conflicts influenced each other politically and militarily, shaping cyber behavior.
Hackers reused successful tactics from earlier wars and applied them to the Gaza conflict.
A 2023 DDoS attack on the ISA used code similar to that of Ukraine’s volunteer cyber forces.
Researchers found most attacks caused limited direct damage but revealed troubling long-term trends.
The analysis argues cyber conflict will increasingly affect space-based technologies in future wars.
The study concludes hacktivists now treat space infrastructure as routine targets during geopolitical crises.
It recommends creating specialized space-sector cyber strategies to defend critical orbital assets.
