New research reports more than 237 cyber operations that targeted space infrastructure between 2023 and 2025.
Analysts describe how cyber warfare now threatens satellites and communication networks during ongoing regional conflicts.
They documented 237 digital operations aimed at the space sector from January 2023 to July 2025 during the Gaza conflict.
Researchers at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zürich compiled material from social platforms, media reports, and cybercrime forums.
They gathered details on attacks that struck Israeli space assets and international agencies.
Activity surged during the Israel-Iran clashes in June 2025, when attackers launched 72 operations in one month.
This number represents nearly one-third of all incidents recorded in the study period, according to author Clémence Poirier.
The report states that cyber operations now follow a recognized wartime pattern similar to attacks seen during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Investigators identified almost every threat actor in the space sector as a pro-Palestinian group.
The study notes that Hamas operates no satellites or space systems over Gaza, and pro-Israeli groups may have acted covertly.
Attack Methods Used Across the Conflict
Hackers carried out ten attacks in October after Hamas launched its armed incursion on October 7, 2023.
They targeted groups such as the Israel Space Agency and the Israeli defence contractor Rafael.
Researchers state that the rapid escalation surprised global hacktivists, who needed time to coordinate and select targets.
Hacktivists ultimately struck 77 space-related organisations or companies during the Gaza conflict.
They focused heavily on Rafael, Elbit Systems, and the ISA, but they also targeted bodies like NASA.
The report explains that attackers mostly chose aerospace and defence firms because those firms build military equipment.
More than 70 percent of the incidents used denial-of-service attacks that overwhelmed networks and forced service outages.
These DDoS attacks required little expertise, operated quickly, and sometimes created diversions for more complex intrusions.
Other operations involved data leaks, system intrusions, and breaches that exposed confidential material.
Some hackers timed data sales or releases around significant events, though researchers could not confirm authenticity.
The study concludes that the visible incidents likely represent a fraction of total activity uncovered through manual research.
Expanding Patterns in Space-Focused Cyber Conflict
The largest surge of activity struck the space sector during the 12-day Israel-Iran confrontation in June 2025, when attackers launched 72 operations.
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Iranian groups targeted Israel simultaneously during this period.
The report describes how the two conflicts influenced each other politically, militarily, and rhetorically, drawing threat actors across arenas.
Hacktivists reused techniques from attacks in other conflicts and applied them in the Gaza conflict.
A 2023 DDoS assault by the “Cyber Army of Palestine” against the ISA used code similar to that used by Ukraine’s IT Army.
Most incidents caused limited physical or operational harm, yet the pattern reveals the direction of future space-linked cyber conflict.
The study argues that cyber operations now form consistent features of modern warfare as hacktivists pursue space-sector targets.
Researchers also argue that stronger space-focused cyber strategies must protect orbital infrastructure from escalating attacks.
