The emerging satellite networks will play a vital role in next-generation networked systems and applications (e.g., 6G and the Internet of Things), and ensuring the reliability and security of these satellite-enabled systems and services is vital. Although generic security protocols exist, the unique characteristics of satellite systems, like delay-awareness, error-proneness, and the intricate software/network stack of space-aerial-terrestrial integrated networks (SATIN), require efficient and lightweight network security protocols. Furthermore, the security threats due to emerging quantum computers and the heavy overhead of existing post-quantum secure standards compound these challenges.

In this project, the research team aims to fill these gaps by developing a fast and lightweight network security fabric that respects the needs of trustworthy next-generation SATIN for the post-quantum era. The team will innovate on multiple fronts, including algorithmic (quantum-safety, distributed computing, time-disclosed cryptography), architectural (decentralized SATIN, distributed key management), and evaluation aspects of SATIN.

The project's broader significance lies in novel solutions that achieve delay awareness, post-quantum security, and energy efficiency for SATINs. The project efforts will enhance national security and broadly offer new educational and publicly adaptable tools with international collaborations. The research team will execute outreach and broadening participation activities, including interdisciplinary curriculum development, international collaborations with workshops and joint educational activities, summer camps for minority K-12 students, industrial partnerships for transition to practice, and open-source platforms for reproducibility and broad adaptation.

This collaborative Swiss-U.S. project is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).