At the virtual Black Hat 2020 conference, academic researcher and Oxford University doctoral candidate James Pavur spoke about the risk of satellite hacking. Pavur stated that attackers can use basic home television gear to listen in on internet traffic occurring across the globe, including high-value targets such as shipping fleets and oil installations. Satellite hacking has been on cybersecurity experts’ radars for several years, however, Pavurs findings highlight the risks posed by unstable satellite internet communications.

Pavur found that internet communications are susceptible to signal interception by attackers who may be across the world or located in a different country from their victims, using basic technology totaling only $300. The functions of satellite communications provide for a wide geographical attack area, making them more vulnerable to eavesdropping. Pavur’s research exposes the cybersecurity risk that satellite communications could pose to nations in the near future as attackers begin to exploit its weaknesses.