The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC), of which Purdue University is a founding member, has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), enabling the organizations to collaborate on aerospace and space cybersecurity endeavors.

The organizations will cooperate to build the knowledge foundations of space cybersecurity, a press release said. The Space ISAC will provide cybersecurity situational awareness and operational excellence, and the AIAA will contribute a long history of convening and promoting aerospace expertise, knowledge and leadership.

Daniel DeLaurentis

“AIAA is committed to bringing cyber protection to the heart of the aerospace industry. It is becoming more and more essential to address cybersecurity on an ongoing basis in the mainstream of our core processes — from the design and development of new space systems, to manufacturing and production, to operations,” AIAA executive director Dan Dumbacher said in the release. “Digital technology has made aerospace safer, smarter, and more connected than ever. We must now establish cybersecurity as a priority on par with safety. We look forward to working with the Space ISAC to expand cybersecurity awareness throughout the aerospace community and supply chain.”

Purdue is one of only two universities to be founding members in the center. AAE Professor Daniel DeLaurentis represents Purdue on the Space ISAC’s board of directors. The board consists of members in space industry, cybersecurity and academia, making Space ISAC unique by including academic participation. Purdue’s involvement helps fill gaps in information sharing between the ISAC partners regarding cyber and non-cyber threats.

The Space ISAC has the goal of increasing the space community’s ability to prepare for and respond to vulnerabilities, incidents and threats; disseminate timely information; and serve as the primary communications channel for the sector with respect to the information.

ISACs are sector-specific, member-driven organizations established by the private sector with support from the federal government to collect, analyze and disseminate cyber and physical security threats as well as to identify risk mitigation information for critical infrastructure owners, operators and members to increase resiliency. The Space ISAC is the only space-dedicated ISAC and will be the most comprehensive, single point source for data, facts and analysis on space security and threats to space assets, a release said.