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US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

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Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#61

Post by TheAdamAndChe »

sandworm101 wrote: post #2

>>Participants who successfully complete a set of qualification challenges on cybersecurity and space this spring will be invited to the ultimate challenge: to (ethically) hack a satellite. Lol. That is so military public affairs. You are allowed to hack a satellite after being vetted and approved by government. Are Canadians allowed to participate? How about Russians? What about crypto-anarchists who will never pass…

The whole point of the exercise is to recruit good people into the military. That means they've got to know who's doing the hacking.

Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#62

Post by foota »

ycombi3 wrote: post #55
coretx wrote: post #31

Why on Earth would you help them militairise outerspace and draw a crosshair on your forehead while being at it ? As if current spacejunk isn't enough of a threat to humanities future in space already. This sounds all awesome at first, but think about it for a second.

The record that this competition will give participants ensures that the brightest simply will not participate in events like this.

What?

Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#63

Post by hongseleco »

henvic wrote: post #58
sandworm101 wrote: post #2

>>Participants who successfully complete a set of qualification challenges on cybersecurity and space this spring will be invited to the ultimate challenge: to (ethically) hack a satellite. Lol. That is so military public affairs. You are allowed to hack a satellite after being vetted and approved by government. Are Canadians allowed to participate? How about Russians? What about crypto-anarchists who will never pass…

I'd bet they're most certainly doing this so smart kids are brainwashed and drink the kool-aid of warmongers.

> Anti-MIC comment

Depends on where you draw your ethical boundaries? I mean it's a lucrative career in itself and you get to work in cutting edge tech that hopefully never gets proliferated to other countries (esp. the oppressive ones).

Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#64

Post by hongseleco »

d_silin wrote: post #22

Would be interested in any US citizen to join our team. We have the skills, but we are all either Canadian or British, sadly. Email me at contact@exodusorbitals.com P.S. Any cybersecurity experience is an asset, but not a requirement.

something something 5 eyes?

Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#65

Post by saul_goodman »

"The FlatSat CTF Event occurs with FlatSat hardware and a virtual/simulated space environment."

For the uninitiated: when an operator builds a satellite they usually build at least 3 or 4 of the same bird for every one they launch. This includes the initial "FlatSat" which is a fully working prototype but built onto a flat proto-board rather than the launched form factor, this makes troubleshooting easier in the initial stages. Later on these development prototypes can also be used to troubleshoot problems that occur in space.

So somewhere there is an Air Force warehouse packed to the gills with all the development and flat-sats that were never intended to fly. Although obviously they would never use real hardware on an event like this for a number of reasons, if they did it would only be for old hardware that's been retired. But still an interesting idea.

Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#66

Post by vsareto »

TheAdamAndChe wrote: post #61
sandworm101 wrote: post #2

>>Participants who successfully complete a set of qualification challenges on cybersecurity and space this spring will be invited to the ultimate challenge: to (ethically) hack a satellite. Lol. That is so military public affairs. You are allowed to hack a satellite after being vetted and approved by government. Are Canadians allowed to participate? How about Russians? What about crypto-anarchists who will never pass…

The whole point of the exercise is to recruit good people into the military. That means they've got to know who's doing the hacking.

It could have changed since I last looked at it, but all of the cyber jobs were transfer-only within the Air Force and you had to sign 6 years I believe.

Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#67

Post by sbarker »

foota wrote: post #62
ycombi3 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The record that this competition will give participants ensures that the brightest simply will not participate in events like this.

What?

You don't run icebreaker on Chrome if you want to stay alive in the sprawl... It's like taking a knife to a nuke fight.

Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#68

Post by coretx »

Gustomaximus wrote: post #41
coretx wrote: post #31

Why on Earth would you help them militairise outerspace and draw a crosshair on your forehead while being at it ? As if current spacejunk isn't enough of a threat to humanities future in space already. This sounds all awesome at first, but think about it for a second.

Any satellite is likely going up regardless. It may make it safer if you help stop bad actors getting access to what will be there anyway. Some terrorist would probably love to steer one satellite into another... or whatever options control gives.

Armies are organizations build around aggression per definition and therefore _are_ the terrorist in outerspace. The good guys in space are found at civil presence such as the ISS. People from all nations and cultures working together in peace. A symbol of hope for humanity. Much unlike military organizations with boots on the ground.

Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#69

Post by golergka »

eeZah7Ux wrote: post #54
golergka wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Prisoner's dilemma, basically. If your country doesn't militairise outer space, others still might - and then you'll be even worse off.

"others still might" is a cheap way to disregard any ethical consideration. I can always make up a hypothetical scenario where I become the victim of some aggression... to justify being a bully.

Even if this is your motivation (we will never know for sure, right?), it could still decrease probability of you being the victim of said aggression.

Re: US Air Force Space Security Challenge 2020: Hack-a-Sat

#70

Post by mattr47 »

vsareto wrote: post #66
TheAdamAndChe wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The whole point of the exercise is to recruit good people into the military. That means they've got to know who's doing the hacking.

It could have changed since I last looked at it, but all of the cyber jobs were transfer-only within the Air Force and you had to sign 6 years I believe.

Army has direct commission positions open for cyber officers. 1LT up to LTC
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