Together with the United States Air Force Research Lab, the US Space Force (USSF) has employed a Silicon Valley-based  Blockchain  Blockchain Blockchain comprises a digital network of blocks with a comprehensive ledger of transactions made in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or other altcoins.One of the signature features of blockchain is that it is maintained across more than one computer. The ledger can be public or private (permissioned.) In this sense, blockchain is immune to the manipulation of data making it not only open but verifiable. Because a blockchain is stored across a network of computers, it is very difficult to tamper with. The Evolution of BlockchainBlockchain was originally invented by an individual or group of people under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. The purpose of blockchain was originally to serve as the public transaction ledger of Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency.In particular, bundles of transaction data, called “blocks”, are added to the ledger in a chronological fashion, forming a “chain.” These blocks include things like date, time, dollar amount, and (in some cases) the public addresses of the sender and the receiver.The computers responsible for upholding a blockchain network are called “nodes.” These nodes carry out the duties necessary to confirm the transactions and add them to the ledger. In exchange for their work, the nodes receive rewards in the form of crypto tokens.By storing data via a peer-to-peer network (P2P), blockchain controls for a wide range of risks that are traditionally inherent with data being held centrally.Of note, P2P blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability. Consequently, hackers cannot exploit these networks via normalized means nor does the network possess a central failure point.In order to hack or alter a blockchain’s ledger, more than half of the nodes must be compromised. Looking ahead, blockchain technology is an area of extensive research across multiple industries, including financial services and payments, among others. Blockchain comprises a digital network of blocks with a comprehensive ledger of transactions made in a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or other altcoins.One of the signature features of blockchain is that it is maintained across more than one computer. The ledger can be public or private (permissioned.) In this sense, blockchain is immune to the manipulation of data making it not only open but verifiable. Because a blockchain is stored across a network of computers, it is very difficult to tamper with. The Evolution of BlockchainBlockchain was originally invented by an individual or group of people under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. The purpose of blockchain was originally to serve as the public transaction ledger of Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency.In particular, bundles of transaction data, called “blocks”, are added to the ledger in a chronological fashion, forming a “chain.” These blocks include things like date, time, dollar amount, and (in some cases) the public addresses of the sender and the receiver.The computers responsible for upholding a blockchain network are called “nodes.” These nodes carry out the duties necessary to confirm the transactions and add them to the ledger. In exchange for their work, the nodes receive rewards in the form of crypto tokens.By storing data via a peer-to-peer network (P2P), blockchain controls for a wide range of risks that are traditionally inherent with data being held centrally.Of note, P2P blockchain networks lack centralized points of vulnerability. Consequently, hackers cannot exploit these networks via normalized means nor does the network possess a central failure point.In order to hack or alter a blockchain’s ledger, more than half of the nodes must be compromised. Looking ahead, blockchain technology is an area of extensive research across multiple industries, including financial services and payments, among others. Read this Term firm known as Xage Security to develop its data protection strategy.

Duncan Greatwood, chief executive of Xage, told Space News that its work with Space Force essentially comes down to one question: “how do you make lots of different satellites work together successfully and securely at the same time?”

‘Blockchain’ may just be the answer. Xage will use Security Fabric, a collection of proprietary blockchain-based software programs that have been designed to communicate with each other. Security Fabric uses blockchain to verify access to individual nodes in a network and to ensure that data provided by a network is trustworthy.

Xage’s Security Fabric will be specifically used to address the challenges associated with securely connecting military and civilian satellites with ground stations in a tamper-proof fashion.

“Each Element in the Space Network Has to Be Able to Make Security Decisions.”

In addition to the Space Force contract, Xage has previously worked on developing blockchain-based security solutions for oil and gas companies. Just as satellites need to'work together successfully and securely at the same time', Xage has built infrastructure that enables oil pads to operate independently and as part of a group.

“The ultimate goal here is to be able to bring this level of protection to space because you will get improvements in operational capabilities and also pretty significant cyber-risk reduction once no single point can be hacked to gain access the network,” Greatwood added.

Indeed, like oil pads, part of the challenge associated with satellite networks is that they continually change as satellites move in and out of view of ground stations. At the same time, nodes on the ground need to continuously determine whether data and imagery downlinked to a particular ground station are authentic or whether the data and imagery were modified, he added.

Therefore, “each element in the space network has to be able to make security decisions,” Greatwood explained.

In order to execute this successfully, a number of considerations need to be taken into account: “can I let that application access that particular data? Can I let that other satellite communicate with me or is it potentially a rogue satellite?”

Xage’s work with Space Force comes as the result of a $743,000 phase-two Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from AFWERX, the branch of the US Air Force responsible for fostering innovation. The contract was awarded in June. Xage originally began working with AFWERX in late 2019 under a phase-one SBIR contract worth roughly $50,000.

This is not the first time that a US government entity has contracted a blockchain firm for  Cybersecurity  Cybersecurity Cybersecurity is a blanket term that refers to the protection of computer systems and networks from the theft.More broadly speaking, cybersecurity can also represent countermeasures against damage to hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.It was not long ago that the term cybersecurity not exist as it was first used in 1989. In today’s vernacular cybersecurity, refers to measures taken to protect a computer or computer system or a network against hacking or unauthorized access. Why Cybersecurity MattersCybersecurity is a huge concern for individuals given our reliance on computers, laptops, smart phones, the Internet, etc.These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information, extorting money from users, or interrupting normal business processes. Implementing effective cybersecurity measures is particularly challenging today because there are more devices than people, and attackers are becoming more innovative. In the modern world, with every person and business connected, everyone benefits from advanced cyber-defense programs. At an individual level, a cybersecurity attack can result in everything from identity theft, to extortion attempts, to the loss of essential data like family photos. Everyone relies on critical infrastructures like power plants, hospitals, and financial service companies. Securing these and other organizations is vital to keeping our society functioning. Significant sources of cybersecurity threats include phishing, ransomware, malware, and social engineering, among others.With the rise of cryptocurrencies over the past decade, cybersecurity has also reached even greater importance a safeguard against abuse. Cybersecurity is a blanket term that refers to the protection of computer systems and networks from the theft.More broadly speaking, cybersecurity can also represent countermeasures against damage to hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.It was not long ago that the term cybersecurity not exist as it was first used in 1989. In today’s vernacular cybersecurity, refers to measures taken to protect a computer or computer system or a network against hacking or unauthorized access. Why Cybersecurity MattersCybersecurity is a huge concern for individuals given our reliance on computers, laptops, smart phones, the Internet, etc.These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information, extorting money from users, or interrupting normal business processes. Implementing effective cybersecurity measures is particularly challenging today because there are more devices than people, and attackers are becoming more innovative. In the modern world, with every person and business connected, everyone benefits from advanced cyber-defense programs. At an individual level, a cybersecurity attack can result in everything from identity theft, to extortion attempts, to the loss of essential data like family photos. Everyone relies on critical infrastructures like power plants, hospitals, and financial service companies. Securing these and other organizations is vital to keeping our society functioning. Significant sources of cybersecurity threats include phishing, ransomware, malware, and social engineering, among others.With the rise of cryptocurrencies over the past decade, cybersecurity has also reached even greater importance a safeguard against abuse. Read this Term needs. For example, CoinTelegraph reported that the U.S. Department of Defense awarded a contract to Indiana-based blockchain firm Simba Chain to provide security for sensitive research and development data in March of this year. Additionally, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has also been involved in blockchain since 2019.