23 Oct 24. Designing Defence’s next generation multi-satellite system.
Dstl scientific expertise and advice is at the heart of the Ministry of Defence’s ambitions in space.
Scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) are at the forefront of designing and developing Defence’s next generation satellite constellation – a system that will bring giant leaps in operational advantage to the armed forces.
We have developed new collaborative ways of working with both Space Command and Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) to deliver the next generation multi-satellite system to support greater global surveillance and intelligence for military operations – known as the ISTARI programme.
ISTARI will cost £968m and involves the development of a constellation (group) of satellites to deliver global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and to send data and information rapidly to decision makers across the globe. A series of operational capability demonstrator missions will first be carried out to test the concept.
Dstl is leading the initial constellation design and development. Using our evidence-based decision-making and systems engineering we are working with DE&S to jointly deliver the missions and bring them into service for Space Command.
Taking a multi-disciplinary approach enables more rapid decision-making and sharing of best practice across technical, programmatic and operational disciplines. It enables defence to ask the right questions and make the right decisions to develop and deliver capability effectively and efficiently.
Tyche: MOD’s first sovereign Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) satellite
Space Command’s first satellite, Tyche, launched in August aboard SpaceX Falcon 9. Dstl provided technical assurance to Tyche, which was built by UK industry.
Tyche is an electro-optical imaging satellite capable of collecting images of the ground, and short image sequences of ground locations, to detect moving objects. It also possesses an additional on-board processor for immediate processing of data collected, including the ability to upload Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms for data reduction.
Tyche will be able to communicate with commercial data relays in geostationary orbit to reduce data latency and increase opportunities for tasking.
A key aspect to the experimentation Tyche will deliver will be the opportunity to demonstrate how the satellite interfaces with the wider emerging MOD space architecture.
Goonhilly Earth Station: new communications ground stations in Cornwall
Dstl is also building on the existing ground facilities to enhance space operations. In conjunction with the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), 2 new remote ground stations have been installed at Goonhilly Earth Station (GES) in Cornwall to expand Dstl’s space-to-ground capability and enable increase experimentation.
The powerful 3.9m Safran Legion antennas, to be operated by Dstl, complement Dstl’s Hermes ground station and will track satellites and download Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) data – vital to demonstrating the ISTARI concept.
Dstl is also working with Goonhilly to tailor and assess the suitability of an open standard for booking and scheduling of remote ground terminals within a network; this will broker access between multiple end users.
Dstl’s in-house expertise is vital to these missions as we help build Defence’s next generation space capability, which will be vital to ensure operational advantage on the frontline. Find out more about our space defence science and technology capability.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
22 Oct 24. X-Bow Systems Inc. (X-Bow), the nation’s leading non-traditional supplier of advanced manufactured solid rocket motors (SRMs) and defense technologies, proudly announces the successful third flight of its Bolt Rocket. The XB-32 motor, part of X-Bow’s Bolt rocket family, is the largest Advanced Manufactured Solid Propellant (AMSP) motor ever flown, utilizing the company’s patented advanced manufacturing technology. This milestone confirms the scalability and effectiveness of X-Bow’s approach, demonstrating that affordable, large-scale production of SRMs is achievable.
X-Bow Systems’ Successful Bolt Rocket Launch Unleashes its 34” Advanced Manufactured Solid Rocket Motor, Proving both Scalability and Manufacturability. Photo Credit: United States Army.
The Commercial Mission-1 (CM-1) flight successfully gathered critical data for pre- and post-flight analysis, validating the motor’s performance and confirming X-Bow’s ability to accurately predict SRM characteristics. The fully in-house designed, developed, and operated Bolt rocket family will have multiple upcoming missions, in partnership with Los Alamos National Labs.
Sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and US Army Space and Missile Defense Command and with further support from Redwire, New Mexico Tech, DARPA, and Air Force Research Labs, this mission represents a new era of options for both commercial and defense contractors in SRM manufacturing. X-Bow’s innovative ‘digital-twin’ technology and modular SRM production allow customers to tailor SRM performance to specific mission needs, providing unmatched flexibility compared to traditional single-point designs. This capability positions X-Bow as a leader in an industry where capacity and development constraints often limit new entrants.
Jason Hundley, X-Bow CEO said: “This successful launch validates our commitment to advanced manufacturing of energetics. Unlike traditional methods, X-Bow’s patented technology allows us to design, produce, and test SRMs with unprecedented speed, precision and scalability. Today’s flight test used 10–20 tactical SRMs worth of propellant, all manufactured here in New Mexico through our partnership with New Mexico Tech’s Energetics Material Research Test Center. We have seen how the Cold War-era model of development, production, and stockpiling—coupled with over-consolidation in the industrial base—has left the U.S. and its allies unprepared for the demands of rapid scaling, production, and innovation. At X-Bow, we’re addressing this by building the nation’s second-largest SRM factory, completing it in a fraction of the time and cost compared to traditional capabilities. We are the only company today, with a flight-validated manufacturing process, adding significant new capacity for SRM production for the U.S. and its allies.”
X-Bow’s groundbreaking work is reshaping the future of SRM manufacturing, offering unprecedented flexibility and scalability to meet the evolving needs of the commercial and defense sectors.
ABOUT X-BOW SYSTEMS
X-Bow Systems is disrupting the aerospace industry with innovative and cost-effective additively manufactured energetics for the solid rocket motor and launch vehicle market. X-Bow is also designing and building a suite of modular solid rocket motors and small launch vehicles for both orbital and suborbital launch services. X-Bow is led by CEO Jason Hundley, Chairman Mark Kaufman, CTO Max Vozoff, CRO Maureen Gannon, General Counsel John Leary and a growing team of seasoned industry veterans and new space entrepreneurs. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, X-Bow has additional presence in California, Alabama, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Maryland and Washington, DC. X-Bow is actively recruiting talented and determined individuals to join its team. For more information, visit www.xbowsystems.com (Source: PR Newswire)
23 Oct 24. Hanwha Phasor, a global developer of satellite communications technology, has demonstrated its user terminal to partners and customers for the first time. The demonstration, which took place at the business’ central London HQ, was the first time that potential customers and partners were able to witness the operation of the user terminal, showing the future of land-based communications for military and commercial use.
Hanwha Phasor demonstrated its Phasor L3300 user terminal, uniquely developed with a dual receive function allowing users a “make-before-break” capability. During the session, Hanwha Phasor demonstrated the connectivity power of the user terminal with two different GEO Ku-Band satellite service providers – showing that customers could utilise the antenna with their chosen service provider. Those who attended the demo included commercial businesses, national armed forces, and high-level defence officials, as well as Special Operations stakeholders who used the demonstration of the Phasor L3300 to take an HD video call with their international headquarters, using two different satellite service providers.
The successful demonstration is an important product milestone for Hanwha Phasor which looks to bring its Phasor L3300 user terminal, an Active Electronically Steered Array (AESA) user terminal designed for land use to provide uninterrupted communications for first responders and military personnel, to market in the first half of 2025. The land variant weighs less than 40kg making it ideal for the range of vehicles in use with both conventional and specialist military units. Given the system’s weight, it can also be used on media and first responder vehicles – providing significant cost efficiencies and performance boosts on the move when compared to traditional parabolic antennas.
Alongside the business’ Phasor L3300, Hanwha Phasor is currently undergoing certification trials on its Phasor A7700 – a user terminal designed for commercial aviation, which will provide high-quality communications for aircraft passengers. The antenna will be available to customers towards the end of 2025.
Hanwha Phasor has had a successful year with a stream of announcements around the development of the Phasor A7700 and Phasor L3300 user terminals, as well as partnerships with key businesses including Kontron, Lufthansa Technik and OneWeb. With more announcements to come in 2024, the business is well positioned to begin deliveries of the Phasor L3300 in the first half of 2025.
Michael Young, Vice President Business Development at Hanwha Phasor stated: “We are proud to have delivered the first demonstration of our cutting-edge user terminal. There is clear interest in the performance advantages that our product has, and also its application with conventional and specialist military units across NATO. We are incredibly proud of the hard work the team at Hanwha Phasor has put in to make these demonstrations happen and we look forward to continuing discussions with partners and potential customers about the future of our product line.”
23 Oct 24. Quadsat has worked with ALL.SPACE to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of its electronically steerable antenna (ESA) for use on LEO constellations. Conducted in the UK using Quadsat’s UAV-based solution, the test is the first such comprehensive evaluation of an ESA and has proven the ability of the Quadsat system to conduct complex measurements of this type.
Quadsat is developing its own view of a comprehensive test procedure for ESAs. This includes both the assessment of the antenna radiation performance, combined with the evaluation of the dynamic testing of the desired operational cases, including satellite passes, handover switching, and multibeam tracking. The drone and the RF payload are positioned very accurately in time and space to ensure qualitative and representative measurements. This provides a unique approach to evaluating ESAs as it will give a full understanding of the antenna capability in the same test campaign and with the same measurement equipment.
With a dramatic rise in the number of ESAs in the industry, there is still a lack of good performance data. Accelerating this technology further will require more, and accessible, testing to enable manufacturers to accelerate development. This is particularly important in the defence market where ALL.SPACE is most active. Understanding antenna performance in that environment is critical for the safety of armed forces. At the same time, people in the field are having to get to grips with a brand-new technology. Having visibility of its performance to mitigate against errors will therefore be crucial.
John-Paul Szczepanik, Chief Technology Officer, All.Space added: “At ALL.SPACE, we’re committed to pushing the boundaries of satellite communications, and this evaluation with Quadsat is a critical milestone. By leveraging its cutting-edge UAV testing solutions, we’ve gained unprecedented insights into the performance of our multi-beam ESA technology in real-world environments. We’re not just testing—we’re shaping the future of satellite communications and how best to demonstrate world-leading performance and certify this for use in critical environments.”
Andrian Buchi, co-founder, Quadsat, added: “Future networks have very different requirements compared to conventional satcoms. Getting it right is particularly important in the defence market. This makes it challenging for manufacturers to develop and test for this environment. With these measurements, ALL.SPACE now has a comprehensive view of antenna performance and can continue to enhance its solutions to be future proof for a new era of satcoms.”
Following the evaluation, ALL.SPACE has access to detailed data on the performance of its antenna which can be used for further development.
22 Oct 24. UK satellites to boost maritime security on track for 2025 launch. A satellite developed by the UK business Horizon Technologies is on schedule for launch in mid-2025.
A satellite developed by the UK business Horizon Technologies has successfully completed its Critical Design Review (CDR), and is on schedule for launch in mid-2025, the UK Space Agency announced today.
The Amber-2 Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Satellite will play a key role in detecting ‘dark vessels’ at sea, such as those involved in illegal immigration, illegal fishing activities, drug smuggling, ship-to-ship transfers of goods and evading sanctions.
The development of the satellite is supported by a £1.2 m investment from the UK Space Agency. The wider Amber™ Programme has been designed to meet the MDA requirements of the Royal Navy via the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) in Portsmouth.
The follow-on satellite Amber-3 is also progressing, with Horizon Technologies currently accepting industry-wide proposals from potential spacecraft/bus suppliers for the build, and a targeted launch date of late 2025.
The Amber™ satellites work by detecting radio frequency (RF) signals enabling the identification of satphones and navigation radars, so when vessels engaged in illegal activities turn off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) they can still be tracked. Over the past year, several governments have been testing the Horizon Technologies Amber’s Signal Acquisition System with impressive results.
A single tower-mounted variant called AmberPersistent can collect RF signals (L/S/X band emitters) up to 3 m sq/km with real-time 4/7 coverage, essential for tracking vessels carrying out illicit activities. In the past quarter, Horizon technologies has received substantial AmberPersistent orders from NATO and non-NATO governments.
Matt Archer, UK Space Agency Director of Launch said:
The successful progress of the Amber-2 satellite by Horizon Technologies demonstrates the UK’s leadership in advancing space-based solutions for global maritime security. By detecting hard-to-track vessels, Amber-2 will play a pivotal role in safeguarding international waters from illegal activities.
We’re looking forward to seeing the satellite launch next year, and to continuing our collaboration with industry on cutting-edge technologies that deliver real-world benefits. Supporting projects like the Amber Programme not only enhances security but also creates high-skilled jobs and fosters innovation across the UK.
Space-based RF collection will be particularly effective for open-ocean detection, while shore-based systems can cover some signals/bands up to 1,000 km, and provide real time persistent coverage within a nation’s Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
Horizon Technologies CEO John Beckner stated:
The RF Earth Observation market is developing in a path analogous to AIS tracking. The RF signals collection market will likely be a combination of terrestrial systems and space-based data.
All you need is a secure coastal site, power, and an internet connection.
Horizon Technologies is a small business headquartered in Reading, Berkshire, and is a global leader in innovative signals intelligence and space-based Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) intelligence solutions.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
22 Oct 24. Edinburgh Space Testing Facility Relaunches After Major Investment. The Higgs Centre for Innovation is relaunching their Space Testing Facility after upgrading its capabilities with new and state-of-the art clean rooms and advanced testing equipment.
Following nine months of renovations and over £400,000 investment via the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the Higgs’ space testing facility is reopening for business. The upgrade is set to further enable the site to support early-stage tech start-ups and space SMEs as they begin their journey. Providing access to cutting edge equipment and technical expertise to qualify space hardware.
Part of STFC the Higgs Centre is co-located with the UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) and the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. The site also hosts Scotland’s European Space Agency (ESA) Business Incubation Centre UK.
Increased testing capabilities
The main driver for the renovations was to the make the facilities more accessible to a wider base of technology SMEs and space companies. To help meet the needs of the rapidly growing UK space sector, with more than 180 space companies located in Scotland.
This includes offering more equipment capable of performing a greater range of environmental testing. For example, for small satellites or other spacecraft, checking the reliability of technology destined for orbit well in advance of launch. The offering now includes vibration, thermal, vacuum, optical, SpaceWire, electromagnetic compatibility and radio frequency testing.
The new facilities were designed to specifications set by STFC and UK ATC. Ensuring companies can test their products and technologies to the exacting standards set by NASA, ESA, various rocket launch providers and other partners.
Technical expertise
Higgs not only offers state-of-the-art equipment and clean rooms but also specialist advice and guidance. From helping to design test regimes through to post-test data analysis. The facility has become an integral part of Scotland’s end-to-end space sector offering. Supported by UK ATC’s world leading expertise in remote sensing instrumentation, system calibration, verification and testing.
Ultimately, users gain affordable and timely access to world class amenities, expert knowledge, and workspaces to take their technologies, and businesses, to the next level.
This support, which would otherwise be out of reach to the kind of small business that makes up the majority of the space industry in the UK, reduces risks and costs, helping them to reach market faster.
Scottish space industry
Start-ups and SMEs specialising in artificial intelligence, robotics, satellite hardware and rockets from across Scotland’s space eco-system have made use of the Higg’s facilities.
Edinburgh-based Alpha Data provide computer hardware to the space industry. Andrew McCormick, Technical Director/CTO at Alpha Data, said: “Alpha Data were looking to undertake vibration testing for our demonstrator, development board and deployable platform. We contacted the Higgs Centre for Innovation to enquire about the use of their vibration capabilities. Once we made contact, we were easily able to communicate our needs and get support on the specific tests and specifications needed. This testing and support allowed Alpha Data to demonstrate the physical ruggedness and launch potential of our 3U-VPX MPSoC platform.”
Throwing open the doors
STFC’s Dr Julian Dines, Head of Innovation at the Higgs Centre, said: “After nine months of hard work we are thrilled to throw open our doors once again and invite companies to access our bigger and better range of dedicated space testing facilities at the Higgs Centre.
“This upgrade means an even broader range of space testing can now take place on site here in Edinburgh, increasing the reliability of satellites in orbit. We look forward to supporting the further expansion of the burgeoning space sector in Scotland – particularly as we approach the next phase in the sector’s development with space launch from Scotland.”
STFC’s Euan Harvey, Business Development and Innovation Manager at the Higgs Centre, said: “I am delighted we are now back open and ready for business, more fitted to support the industry’s needs than ever. The facility is an important facet in Scotland’s offering of a full end-to-end space capabilities and an important part in driving innovation within the Scottish space ecosystem.”
Annelies Look, Deputy Chief Executive & Chief Delivery Officer at the UK Space Agency, said: “The relaunch of the Higgs Centre for Innovation’s Space Testing Facility will benefit Scotland and the UK as a whole, catalysing investment and strengthening our end-to-end space sector capabilities.
“By providing affordable world class testing equipment and specialist guidance, the Higgs Centre is empowering early-stage tech start-ups and space SMEs to innovate, reduce risks, and bring their products to market faster.
“This will ensure that Scotland and the UK remain at the forefront of space exploration and technology, creating jobs and driving economic growth.”
20 Oct 24. Eutelsat uses SpaceX rocket to launch first satellites after merger. Eutelsat the world’s third-biggest satellite operator by revenue, launched 20 satellites for its communications network on Sunday, using Elon Musk’s SpaceX in its first move since the merger of two European companies last year.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with Eutelsat satellites from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base at 0513 GMT.
“This is the first OneWeb launch of the satellites since the merger,” CEO Eva Berneke told Reuters in an interview. “We will be launching more satellites over the coming years.”
The Paris-based group formed by the merger in September last year of France’s Eutelsat and Britain’s OneWeb has a constellation of over 600 low earth orbit satellites that cater to broadcasters, telecom companies and radio stations.
“We really want to integrate into the telco ecosystem,” Berneke said. “Satellites are an interesting niche in the overall connectivity ecosystems where telcos are the big boys in the class and satellite will always be a smaller part.” (Source: Reuters)
18 Oct 24. Taiwan taps satellite hookups to help down invading drones. The Taiwanese military is testing a satellite-connected setup of drone countermeasures as part of a massive effort to bolster the island’s defenses of critical infrastructure and core communications network amid an uptick in Chinese probing.
The tests come as Taiwan is seeing Chinese military activity in the waters around the island, including drones flying within the country’s air defense identification zone. China views Taiwan as a rogue province and has threatened to take it back by force.
Tron Future, a Taiwan-based company, has been supporting the government in integrating counter-drone systems with Taiwan’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites through its T.SpaceRouter user terminals, expected to boost the island’s wartime communication resilience.
The T.SpaceRouter is a lightweight satellite communication terminal that uses active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology, envisioned to double as a kind of communication antenna relying on regional private 5G coverage.
“As our anti-drone systems will be able to connect with LEO satellites by the end of 2025, each C-UAS installation site can serve as a regional military communication hub with LEO satellite backbone – this will help prevent systemic collapse of the core communication network in potential future conflicts,” Dr. Yu-Jiu Wang, chief executive of Tron Future said.
The Taiwan Space Agency has launched an experimental satellite project dubbed Beyond 5G, which aims to develop two high-performance LEO spacecraft that will be deployed at an altitude of 600 kilometers.
Last year, Wang told Defense News that at the height of tensions, the company’s radars deteced as many as 100 Chinese surveillance drones above the island in the span of a week.
According to the vendor, the Taiwanese military also recently began testing a variety of counter-drone active and passive radars, including Tron Future systems, as well as jammers.
These include achieving at least a 6 kilometers effective detection range for drones over the sea, with one of the target references being a Mavic 3 Pro, for active and passive radars, and at least a 4 kilometer effective jamming capability for drones, Wang said.
The government is expected to sign a contract with the winning contractor within two months as part of an order that could total tens of ms of dollars.
“A total of 26 sets of anti-drone systems need to be installed, with 13 sets to be completed within five months after signing the contract, and the entire procurement to be completed within 10 – the systems will be installed on the frontline islands closest to China,” the CEO said.
He noted that the closest distance from Taiwan’s outer islands to China is roughly 2 kilometers.
Taiwan is a major producer of computer chips, which means the country’s semiconductor factories are assumed targets in a potential Chinese attack besides military sites. (Source: Defense News)
18 Oct 24. Visiona, the joint venture between Embraer and Telebras, has presented the first images collected by VCUB1, the first high-performance satellite designed by Brazil’s national industry, and has thus concluded the operational evaluation of the satellite.
“Satellites play a key role all over the world and in Brazil. VCUB1 can be used for issues that are central to the country, such as environmental protection, responding to natural disasters, fighting wildfires or even developing agriculture,” says João Paulo Rodrigues Campos, Visiona’s CEO. “In addition to generating new business opportunities, expanding Brazil’s space infrastructure and creating jobs.”
Weighing just 12 kg, VCUB1 is equipped with a high-resolution camera and an advanced communications system. VCUB1 is also the first satellite with onboard software 100% developed in Brazil, which translates into complete autonomy in the project. The success of the mission proves Visiona’s ability to develop solutions capable of addressing major challenges facing the Brazilian Space Program.
After the launch in 2023, the satellite’s first year of life was dedicated to developing and maturing systems. This was followed by calibration of the sophisticated camera so that the first images could be collected and released.
VCUB1 was originally designed to validate the navigation and control systems developed by Visiona, marking the first time these technologies had been mastered by the country. “Mastering the embedded software is what gives us the freedom to integrate or replace any component, giving us total freedom in the project. We have joined a select group of companies in the world capable of fully designing satellites,” says Himilcon Carvalho, Visiona’s CTO. “The images, in turn, confirm the performance of the systems developed, which should now equip the company’s next projects.”
The project, led by Visiona, included the participation of several Brazilian companies and science and technology institutes such as OPTO Space & Defense, responsible for designing and building the camera, AMS Kepler, Metalcard, Orbital Engenharia, Embrapii, through its ISI Embarcados SENAI-SC unit, the Air Force’s Aeronautics and Space Institute and INPE. In addition, the Brazilian Space Agency, Embrapa, CPRM, CEMADEN, UFSC, ITA, Government of Santa Catarina, CENSIPAM, IICA, São José dos Campos City Hall, Naturantins, Transpetro and IBAMA contributed to the satellite’s development
14 Oct 24. infiniDome launches their new GPSdome-SunStone anti-jamming solution. infiniDome has launched GPSdome-SunStone — this state-of-the-art anti-jamming module marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey of delivering next-generation navigation resiliency solutions to the defense and commercial sectors.
The company’s solutions have been deployed across multiple industries, including defense, autonomous applications, and maritime, where the reliability of navigation systems is paramount. infiniDome’s technology, including the GPSdome series, has been rigorously tested in real-world environments, earning the trust of military forces and commercial sectors alike. Now, with the upcoming launch of GPSdome-SunStone, the company is once again setting the standard for secure, resilient GNSS protection.
GPSdome-SunStone sets a new standard for GNSS resilience by offering advanced features tailored to meet the increasingly complex demands of modern navigation systems, designed for ultimate performance and compatibility.
infiniDome’s commitment to providing industry-leading, battle-tested GNSS protection solutions is at the heart of SunStone’s development. As threats to GNSS reliability continue to evolve in the form of highly contested and a rapidly changing RF spectrum, GPSdome-SunStone offers the most advanced solution available to date. The SunStone delivers comprehensive protection based on infiniDome’s “future-proof” SW-defined anti-jamming core optimized to face the most current threats in the battlefield today and field upgradeable to meet future threats tomorrow.
The company will be ready for customer evaluations as soon as November 2024 with select customers in the defense space and will officially announce the general availability before the end of the year. This strategic timeline allows infiniDome to meet the high demand for optimized anti-jamming solutions to be able to face the rapidly growing threats in and around conflict zones for multiple GNSS-dependent industries. (Source: Satnews)
14 Oct 24. NSA issues updated guidance on Russian SVR cyber ops. The National Security Agency (NSA) joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF), and the United Kingdom National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to warn network defenders about ongoing Russian Federation Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) cyber threats and to recommend rapid countermeasures for security patching and mitigating systems.
According to the CSA, SVR cyber actors are using a range of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) including, but not limited to, spearphishing, password spraying, abuse of supply chain and trusted relationships, custom and bespoke malware, cloud exploitation, and living off the land techniques. They gain initial access, escalate privileges, move laterally, maintain persistence in victim networks and cloud environments, and exfiltrate information. They often conceal their activity using Tor, leased and compromised infrastructure, and proxies.
To disrupt this activity, the report’s authors recommend baselining authorized devices and scrutinizing systems accessing their networks that do not adhere to the baseline, among other mitigations.
Since 2021, the SVR actors – also tracked as APT29, Midnight Blizzard (formerly Nobelium), the Dukes, and Cozy Bear – have consistently targeted U.S., European, and global entities in the defense, technology, and finance sectors. Their intent is to collect foreign intelligence and enable future cyber operations, including in support of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
A CSA published in April 2021, “Russian SVR Targets U.S. and Allied Networks,” highlighted the SVR’s exploitation of CVEs for initial access. Since then, SVR cyber actors have exploited vulnerabilities at a mass scale to target victims worldwide across many sectors. A CSA released in February 2024, “SVR Cyber Actors Adapt Tactics for Initial Cloud Access,” highlighted additional information on the exploitation of cloud environments and the use of proxies.
The joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA), “Update on SVR Cyber Operations and Vulnerability Exploitation,” highlights how Russian SVR cyber actors are currently exploiting a set of software vulnerabilities and have intentions to exploit additional vulnerabilities. It provides a detailed list of publicly disclosed common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) and a list of mitigations to improve cybersecurity posture based on the SVR cyber actors’ operations.
“This activity is a global threat to the government and private sectors and requires thorough review of security controls, including prioritizing patches and keeping software up to date,” said Dave Luber, NSA’s Cybersecurity Director. “Our updated guidance will help network defenders detect these intrusions and ensure they are taking steps to secure their systems.” (Source: Satnews)