CASI report says China attacked Indian satellite communications in 2017

A new report by US-based China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) has revealed that Indian satellite communications were attacked by China in 2017.

The computer attack on Indian satellite communications is one of several cyberattacks carried out by China between 2007 and 2018.

CASI provides high-quality, unclassified research and analysis on Chinese aerospace developments in support of decision and policymakers in the US Department of Defense and across the US Government.

Meanwhile, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has admitted that cyberattacks do take place; however, it said that its systems were safe and ‘not compromised’.

According to ISRO chief K Sivan, India’s network is ‘independent and isolated’ and not linked to ‘public domain’, reported Business Today.

A senior scientist was quoted by The Times of India as saying: “Cyber threats are a given but it cannot be ascertained who is behind such attacks.

“We’ve systems in place to alert us and I don’t think we’ve ever been compromised.”

The scientist also said that ‘the Chinese may have tried and failed’.

The CASI report noted that ‘co-orbital satellites, direct ascent kinetic-kill vehicles, jammers, and cyber capabilities’ were some of China’s counter-space technologies.

Earlier this month, China’s Kuaizhou-1A rocket mission failed during the launch of an optical remote sensing satellite for the Jilin-1 satellite constellation on 12 September.