DIPS in Space: Cybersecurity for Satellites

A satellite glides over the North Atlantic. Everything appears normal. Suddenly, an irregular pattern emerges in the radio signal. A cyberattack? Within milliseconds, a compact onboard AI model classifies the anomaly as suspicious behavior, isolates the affected component, and sends an encrypted incident report to the operator. No service interruption. No data leak. This is what the future could look like

Right now, a satellite race is underway. Global powers are investing heavily in satellite technology, and the market is booming. Yet satellites remain highly vulnerable to cyberattacks. They are deeply interconnected with ground-based systems and are often developed by smaller companies with limited cybersecurity resources. The DIPS in Space project addresses this new reality — where satellites form part of the digital frontline, and sophisticated cyberattacks must be detected and mitigated.

The project is led by FORCE Technology, with DTU contributing expertise in communication protocols and anomaly detection. The Alexandra Institute develops the AI models, and the Danish space company GomSpace provides the commercial satellite platform.