(a) Review the system [Assignment: organization-defined frequency] to identify unnecessary and/or nonsecure functions, ports, protocols, software, and services; and
(b) Disable or remove [Assignment: organization-defined functions, ports, protocols, software, and services within the system deemed to be unnecessary and/or nonsecure].
Periodically scanning for and removing “dead weight” functionality in space systems minimizes the risk of an adversary exploiting unnecessary services. Idle network protocols or debugging stubs on a satellite are prime attack vectors, especially during ground integration or servicing. With this enhancement, spacecraft operators inventory all running processes, ports, and APIs to verify each is mission-essential. Anything unnecessary, like legacy file-transfer services, gets disabled or stripped. This tightens the overall attack surface, reducing the likelihood of malicious code slipping in via overlooked features. In turn, the platform gains resilience without excessive complexity.
Exploit ground system and use to maliciously to interact with the spacecraft
Sample Requirements
SPARTA ID
Requirement
Rationale/Additional Guidance/Notes
SPR-419
The [organization] shall periodically review the spacecraft and subsystems to identify and disable unnecessary and/or nonsecure functions, ports, protocols, software, and services.{SV-SP-1,SV-SP-7}{CM-7(1)}