Space cybersecurity: “The role of the lawyer is to support innovation, not to slow it down”
At the recent annual ALUMNI ONERA conference, Laetitia Cesari, PhD in law, shared her strategic vision on the resilience of orbital infrastructure and the evolution of the European regulatory framework.
In a context of growing tensions involving space infrastructure and a multiplication of cyber threats, the issue of the security of space systems has become an absolute priority for European sovereignty. For Laetitia Cesari, this security is based on a subtle balance between technological innovation and legal compliance.
A pragmatic approach to resilience
From the outset, the expert makes an observation: “There is no such thing as zero risk.” Faced with this reality, the strategy she advocates is structured around a virtuous cycle: “prevent, deter, then learn and not repeat the same mistakes.”
To build tangible resilience, she defines five essential pillars:
- Prevention;
- Detection;
- Response;
- Learning;
- Sharing best practices and feedback.
The European regulatory framework: developing common rules
When asked about the European legislative arsenal, in particular the directives on “critical entities,” the Cyber Act, and also NIS2, Laetitia Cesari emphasized the complexity of their implementation. She warns that harmonization will be neither instantaneous nor uniform, as each Member State must adapt these standards to its own ecosystem, according to its capabilities and sectoral priorities.
She notably recalls that ground-based space infrastructures are now considered, depending on the case, as “essential or important entities” within the meaning of the NIS2 Directive and certain national laws. In this respect, operators must comply with strict obligations: documentation, security testing (scans, red team exercises), remediation, and capitalizing on experience.
Law in the service of effectiveness
One of Laetitia Cesari’s core beliefs is that the legal framework must not be perceived as a technical obstacle. “The role of the lawyer is not to slow down technology, but to support stakeholders in space activities to ensure the balance between effectiveness and compliance,” she states.
To achieve this, she stresses the need to build bridges between disciplines. It is imperative that engineers, lawyers, and cybersecurity specialists learn to “speak a common language.”
Relying on expertise and research
Finally, she emphasizes that the upskilling of the entire space ecosystem depends on strong technical support. She highlights the importance of:
Best practice guides, such as the one published by CNES for space systems or ANSSI’s recommendations.
Upstream research, such as ONERA’s studies and demonstrators, which help substantiate technical programs and provide an evidence base for future sustainability and security standards.
Laetitia Cesari concludes by stressing the importance of sharing “lessons learned” (feedback) after each incident in order to collectively strengthen the protection posture of infrastructures.
