Researchers report that hackers carried out over 237 cyber operations against space infrastructure from 2023 to 2025.
They warn that satellites and communications networks face increasing danger from cyber warfare.
The Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zürich analyzed social media posts, news reports, and cybercrime forum activity.
Researchers tracked attacks against the Israeli space sector and international space agencies during the Gaza conflict.
Cyber activity surged in June 2025, when Israel and Iran faced each other, and attackers launched 72 operations in a month.
Clémence Poirier, author of the report, explains that this spike accounts for nearly one-third of all recorded incidents.
The report states that cyberattacks on space infrastructure now reflect a broader wartime trend, similar to patterns in Ukraine.
Analysts identified almost all threat actors as pro-Palestinian groups, with one exception.
Researchers note that Hamas lacks satellites or space systems, while pro-Israeli groups may have operated secretly.
Attack Methods and Key Targets
Hackers struck ten times in October 2023 after Hamas launched its armed incursion on October 7.
They targeted organisations such as the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and Israeli defence firm Rafael.
The report states that global hacktivists faced delays as they assembled and selected targets for attacks.
Hackers attacked 77 space organisations and companies during the Gaza conflict.
They focused on Rafael, Elbit Systems, and the ISA, while also targeting NASA and other international agencies.
Researchers note that attackers aimed mostly at aerospace and defence companies for military manufacturing, not space activities.
Over 70 percent of attacks used denial-of-service (DDoS) techniques, overwhelming networks until systems crashed.
The report explains that DDoS attacks require minimal technical skill, occur quickly, and distract from more advanced operations.
Hackers also carried out data leaks, system intrusions, and information theft.
Some leaks and sales coincided with key conflict events, though researchers warn this timing may be fabricated or unverifiable.
The study concludes that open-source research likely captures only a portion of the total activity against space infrastructure.
Persistent Cyber Patterns in Conflicts
The largest activity surge occurred during Israel-Iran clashes in June 2025, generating 72 cyber operations in 12 days.
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Iranian groups targeted Israel simultaneously during this period.
The report explains that both conflicts influenced each other politically, militarily, and rhetorically, and actors often operated across both arenas.
Hackers replicated tactics from prior conflicts in the Gaza fighting.
For example, the Cyber Army of Palestine used DDoS code similar to the IT Army of Ukraine in 2023.
Most operations caused minimal physical or operational damage, but the overall pattern indicates the evolving nature of space cyber warfare.
The study concludes that cyber activity now forms a consistent part of modern conflicts, driven by hacktivists’ interest in the space industry.
Researchers urge governments and organisations to develop robust space-focused cyber strategies to protect infrastructure from future attacks.
