Microsoft joins Space ISAC as founding member

On June 23, the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) announced that Microsoft Corporation has become the Space ISAC’s newest founding member. The Space ISAC is the only space-dedicated ISAC with a mission to facilitate collaboration across the global space industry to enhance the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to vulnerabilities, incidents, and threats; to disseminate timely and actionable information among member firms; and to serve as the primary communications channel for the sector with respect to this information. This mission is made possible through the investment by initial founders which also serve as board members. Tom Keane, corporate vice president of Azure Global at Microsoft has asked Bill Chappell, vice president of mission systems and CTO of Azure Global at Microsoft, to represent the company and serve on the Space ISAC board of directors.

Frank Backes, Space ISAC board of directors chair and senior vice president of Kratos Space Federal, said, “Space cybersecurity is relatively unknown territory because we’re approaching and doing some things for the first time, fortunately through Space ISAC we have the opportunity to build a foundation for protection from a knowledge pool with deep security expertise. Microsoft brings its longstanding history of proficiency in cybersecurity to its role as a founding member including its experience detecting and stopping attacks and eliminating persistent threats which brings clear value to our membership. With Azure Space, Microsoft has established itself as a key player in global space critical infrastructure and will represent in several key focus areas; Space Ground Systems, Cyber Security, Cloud Processing and Data Transport.”

Microsoft is a leader in both cloud-powered innovation with Azure Space as well as in cybersecurity expertise. The company analyzes over 8 trillion diverse signals daily yielding unparalleled threat intelligence. With Azure Space, Microsoft is building cloud capabilities to meet the unique needs of space – emulating space missions, discovering insights from satellite data, and fueling innovation both on the ground and in orbit. One of Microsoft’s first contributions will be to share their know-how and unique high-fidelity threat intelligence optic to enhance the Space ISAC community’s ability to keep pace with attack identification, detection, and response.

Tom Keane, corporate vice president of Azure Global at Microsoft, said, “We’re committed at Microsoft to protecting space-based critical assets vital to our government and economy. As a founding member of the Space ISAC, we look forward to sharing our expertise and threat intelligence. This information can help enhance the space community’s ability to detect threats, bolster protections and develop defense strategies. Mitigating today’s threat landscape in cyberspace requires navigating never-before-seen challenges amidst rapid commercial advancements in communications infrastructure, satellite connectivity and broadband. To support our customers in their missions, Microsoft will continue to keep security at the epicenter of all we do.”

Microsoft joins a diverse set of Space ISAC founding members which bring a broad scope of expertise to advancing the mission of cybersecurity in space including Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., Booz Allen Hamilton, MITRE, SES, Lockheed Martin, Parsons Corporation, Purdue University, the Space Dynamics Laboratory at Utah State University, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and Northrop Grumman.