Towards a Security Architecture for Satellite Internet: A Standardization Perspective

In the 6G era of striving for global connectivity, Satellite Internet emerges as a crucial infrastructure by providing network coverage to remote and underserved regions. However, it confronts more intricate security threats than terrestrial networks, encompassing dual perils from the physical and network realms. This paper reviews the classic architectures of Satellite Internet and dissects the novel security challenges it encounters, such as the harsh space environment, orbit and spectrum congestion, and the resource disparity between satellites and terrestrial nodes. It further scrutinizes the existing cybersecurity regulations and standards, highlighting their inadequacies in tackling these emerging threats. Against this backdrop, the paper proposes a new security architecture standard for Satellite Internet, which encompasses physical environment domain, electromagnetic domain, control domain, and forwarding domain security. Finally, the paper outlines the future trend of standardization efforts for Satellite Internet, underlining the necessity of bolstering active security technologies to counteract unknown intelligent security risks.