UKSA adds to its space tracking capabilities. (Source: T-Minus Space Daily)

Brandon’s dispatch on T-Minus Space Daily called the unsecured satellite ecosystem a “Heartbleed-level” crisis: research from the University of Maryland and UC San Diego shows that more than half of global GEO satellite traffic—including feeds from telecoms, banks, utilities, and law-enforcement agencies—is still transmitted without encryption.

Key topics

• Massive satellite data exposure: Academic teams demonstrated just how easily anyone with commodity gear can intercept GEO traffic, documenting clear-text payloads from commercial operators and critical-infrastructure networks.
• Systemic security failures: Brandon pointed to culpability on both sides of the link—service providers shipping insecure modems and end users never flipping on built-in crypto—as evidence that the space domain still treats cybersecurity as optional.
• Accountability and regulation: He pushed for tougher oversight, executive liability for noncompliance, and an industry-wide pact to enforce encryption baselines before adversaries exploit the gap.