Satellite expansion widens attack surface across IoT, utilities and critical infrastructure

The rapid growth of satellite communications is creating systemic cybersecurity exposure as more than 18,000 active satellites orbit Earth, according to Manar Alohaly, a senior RDI executive at the Saudi Information Technology Company, writing in a World Economic Forum post.

The satellite communications market is projected to grow from $14.56bn in 2025 to $33.44bn by 2030, an 18.1% compound annual growth rate, with Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit constellation now reaching over 160 markets. Direct-to-device services are extending connectivity to cars, farms and remote communities, widening the attack surface to include satellites, ground gateways, network services and endpoints such as smartphones and IoT sensors.

Alohaly said satellite-enabled IoT is expanding across logistics, agriculture and utilities, where compromised links or manipulated sensor data could disrupt operations, affect safety or damage infrastructure. Software-defined satellites and in-orbit reconfiguration add risks including remote manipulation, unauthorised access and malicious software updates.

She also flagged concentration risk, noting that as of March 2026 a single commercial operator controls the majority of active satellites in orbit, a single point of failure that could cascade across sectors and borders. Established threats such as jamming, eavesdropping and unauthorised access to telemetry remain, and she called for governments and businesses to examine where security and regulatory measures fall short.