A Review of LEO Satellite Network Security Research

With the improvement of the rocket’s carrying capacity and the gradual maturity of the technology of launching multiple satellites simultaneously with one rocket, the Asynchronous deployment of a large number of satellites has become possible. The conditions for constructing a high-frequency LEO satellite constellation with global coverage has gradually become matured. Comparing traditional Internet communication technologies, the LEO satellite Internet has many advantages including global coverage, high stability, high bandwidth, low latency, no dependence on ground infrastructure, light weight of terminals and so on. It has been widely concerned by many countries and enterprises. The successful implementation of the starlink program became a symbol of developing LEO satellites the network comprehensively. However, comparing with traditional networks, the long-range open channels and dynamic network topology make LEO satellite networks vulnerable to third-party attacks, which seriously threaten the security of LEO satellite networks. This paper summarizes the security problems of LEO satellite networks as well as the advantages and disadvantages of existing defense solutions from four aspects including communication link security, network host security, satellite network architecture security and physical security. Based on a comprehensive analysis of existing studies, the future direction of LEO satellite safety is envisioned.