Space cybersecurity policy is the set of rules, standards, and guidance used to protect satellites, ground stations, mission software, and the services that connect them from cyber risk. It turns security from a narrow engineering concern into a governance issue, covering design, procurement, operations, incident response, and recovery. In practice, this can mean secure-by-design requirements, authentication controls, vulnerability management, and trusted threat-intelligence sharing across operators and suppliers.
This policy matters because space systems are long-lived, highly interdependent, and often difficult to patch once deployed. Attackers may target command links, ground networks, update channels, or third-party vendors to disrupt services or gain persistence. Strong policy helps defenders reduce weaknesses before launch, coordinate alerts faster, and set expectations for resilience when incidents occur. It is also how governments and industry align on who is responsible for protecting the wider space supply chain.