The Commander of the Joint Cyberspace Command highlights the importance of protecting space assets at the ‘18th Santander Satellite Seminar’

• Vice-Admiral Roca took part in a round-table discussion on the influence of cyberspace on the space domain

The Joint Cyberspace Command (MCCE) has taken part in the 18th edition of the seminar ‘Satellites as a key element for defence and government applications’, which is being held from 2 to 4 September in Santander.

At this leading forum on security, space and cyber defence, the Commander of the MCCE, Vice-Admiral Javier Roca, spoke as the keynote speaker at the round-table discussion focusing on the influence of cyberspace and national security as guarantors of defence.

During his address to senior military officials and executives from the aerospace sector, the Commander outlined the MCCE’s mission, detailing its operational capabilities and responsibilities for protection, prevention and response within the Armed Forces’ digital environment.

He also highlighted the urgent need to maintain and increase ongoing investment in cyber defence, stressing that the technological resilience of command and control systems is essential to guaranteeing operational sovereignty and the security of national and European critical infrastructure.

As the central focus of his presentation, the vice-admiral screened a video simulation recreating an operational scenario involving a cyberattack without physical contact.

The demonstration illustrates how, by compromising an employee’s personal device at a satellite ground station, a malicious actor can escalate privileges, infiltrate the operational network and achieve unauthorised intervention and takeover of an in-orbit satellite for hostile purposes. The case study has served to raise awareness of the extreme vulnerability of attack surfaces and the need to implement strict cybersecurity measures, from the human level right up to the space segment.

The round-table discussion in which the Commander of the MCCE took part was entitled ‘Space and its influence on the operational domains of cyberspace and national security as guarantors of our defence and security’ and was moderated by the Chief of the Joint Staff (JEMACON), Lieutenant General José Antonio Herrera Llamas.

During the debate, Vice-Admiral Roca was accompanied by Major General Fernando Martín Pascual, Deputy Head of the Military Emergency Unit (UME); Major General Francisco Javier Moscoso Sicardo, Head of the Civil Guard’s Border Command; Brigadier General Francisco Javier González Vázquez, Deputy Director of Intelligence at CIFAS; and Colonel Pablo Moreno Galdo, Deputy Director-General for Planning, Information Services and Telecommunications (PLASITEL).

The 18th Santander Seminar features a strong representation from the defence industry and key defence institutions such as the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), INTA, CNI-CIFAS, ISDEFE, Hisdesat, Indra, Airbus, Telefónica, GMV, Thales Alenia Space, Sener and ACORDE.