AI-assisted tool targets satellite cyber risks after 2022 Russian hack

Russia disabled thousands of satellite modems across Ukraine and other European countries on the same day it invaded Ukraine in 2022, exposing a major weakness in satellite communications. Atalanta has released Argo, an AI-assisted cybersecurity product that includes technology used to help secure Viasat’s satellite communications network after the attack.

Atalanta says Argo relies on “software understanding,” combining complex mathematics with AI to analyze software and internet-connected systems for vulnerabilities more comprehensively. CEO and co-founder Anjana Rajan said older tools do not scale for today’s threats, particularly for systems of consequence for the United States.

Viasat chief of cyber strategy Nick Saunders said the work with Atalanta has helped the company understand how its systems are more resilient against attacks and produce the math supporting that assessment. Atalanta’s technology has also been selected for the Genesis Mission, the Department of Energy effort to create autonomous nuclear reactors.

Greg Shannon, chief cybersecurity scientist at Idaho National Laboratory, said similar technology could become part of standard development tool kits. He said DARPA has “probably invested well over $2 billion” in programs to advance formal methods, helping create demand for systems like Argo.