Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, have reintroduced a bipartisan bill to support satellite owners and operators against growing cybersecurity threats to space assets.
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What Is the Satellite Cybersecurity Act?
The Satellite Cybersecurity Act tasks the Department of Commerce to provide voluntary cybersecurity recommendations and establish an online clearinghouse to streamline access to information on how to secure space systems, the Senate said Wednesday.
The bill also tasks the Government Accountability Office to examine programs to secure commercial satellites and identify ways to integrate satellite capabilities into critical infrastructure sectors.
Peters, a ranking member of the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement that the Satellite Cybersecurity Act will enable companies to protect their satellite systems from cyberthreats.
“Foreign adversaries and cybercriminals continue to target cybersecurity vulnerabilities in commercial satellites, and these attacks have the potential to significantly disrupt American lives and livelihoods,” he warned.
Cornyn added that the bipartisan bill will provide satellite operators with the tools they need to safeguard their systems against disruptions caused by bad actors.
When Else Have the Senators Introduced the Satellite Cybersecurity Act?
Peters and Cornyn have introduced the Satellite Cybersecurity Act two other times, most recently in 2023. The Record reported that the bill advanced out of the Homeland Security Committee both times but did not receive votes once it moved to the Senate floor.
