Researchers report over 237 cyber operations struck space infrastructure from 2023 through 2025.
Cyber warfare now threatens satellites and communication networks, the study warns.
The Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zürich collected social media posts, news articles, and cybercrime forum data to track attacks.
Attackers focused on Israel’s space sector and international space agencies.
June 2025 saw the sharpest spike: 72 operations occurred in a single month during the Israel-Iran conflict.
Clémence Poirier, the report’s author, said these attacks represent nearly one-third of all recorded incidents.
The study compares this pattern to cyber activity during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Researchers identified almost all attackers as pro-Palestinian groups, except one.
Hamas lacks satellites or space systems over Gaza, though pro-Israeli groups may have acted secretly.
Patterns and Targets of Cyber Strikes
Hackers launched ten attacks in October 2023 following Hamas’s armed incursion on October 7.
They targeted the Israel Space Agency (ISA) and Israeli defence firm Rafael.
The report states that global hacktivists struggled to organize and identify targets at first.
During the Gaza conflict, hacktivists struck 77 space-related organisations and companies.
Rafael, Elbit Systems, and ISA suffered the most attacks, while NASA and other international bodies also faced strikes.
Most attacks focused on aerospace and defence firms because they produce military equipment, not due to space operations.
More than 70 percent of attacks relied on denial-of-service (DDoS) methods that overwhelm networks and crash systems.
DDoS attacks require minimal technical skill, act quickly, and can distract from advanced intrusions.
Hackers also executed data leaks, intrusions, and information breaches.
Some leaks coincided with key conflict events, though researchers admit timing may be fabricated.
The study concludes that manually identified incidents likely represent only a fraction of actual activity.
Cyber Conflict Intensifies and Adapts
Israel-Iran hostilities triggered the largest activity spike in June 2025, with 72 cyber operations over 12 days.
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Iranian groups launched attacks simultaneously against Israel.
The report notes that political, military, and rhetorical developments in one conflict influenced cyber operations in the other.
Hacktivists replicated successful techniques from prior conflicts, including a 2023 DDoS attack by the Cyber Army of Palestine using code similar to Ukraine’s IT Army.
Most attacks caused limited physical or operational damage, but patterns signal the future of space-focused cyber warfare.
The study finds that cyber operations now consistently target space-sector actors in modern conflicts.
Researchers urge the development of dedicated space-cyber strategies to safeguard satellites and related infrastructure from further attacks.
