The premier space cybersecurity conference returns for its 10th anniversary with a dual-track unclassified and classified program, a Space ISAC-led crisis simulation, and a keynote from United Airlines CISO Deneen DeFiore.
CyberSat, the only conference purpose-built for the intersection of space operations and cybersecurity, marks its tenth year this November — and if the program is any indication, the conversation has never been more urgent.
Running November 2–5, 2026, in the Washington, D.C. suburbs of Reston and Chantilly, Virginia, CyberSat 2026 arrives at a moment when space systems are no longer ancillary to critical infrastructure — they are the critical infrastructure. Energy grid synchronization, autonomous transportation, disaster response, defense communications, and global financial transactions all depend on satellite networks that are increasingly software-defined, digitally interconnected, and exposed.
Two Programs. One Mission.
The conference splits into two distinct programs that together cover the full spectrum of space cybersecurity. The unclassified program, held November 2–3 at the Hyatt Regency Reston, is open to all qualified attendees and features government keynotes, technical deep dives, and practitioner case studies. Following that, the classified program runs November 4–5 at The Aerospace Corporation’s SCIF facility in Chantilly, requiring TS/SCI (SI/TK//NOFORN) clearance — a rare closed-door environment where cleared professionals exchange real intelligence, dissect recent incidents, and collaborate on next-generation defense strategies.
Keynote: A View from Aviation’s Front Lines
This year’s headline keynote comes from Deneen DeFiore, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at United Airlines. Speaking on the unclassified program Monday, November 2, DeFiore brings a perspective that bridges two sectors where satellite dependency and cybersecurity converge: commercial aviation. She serves on the boards of the Internet Security Alliance and the Aviation ISAC, was appointed to the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) in 2022, and chairs the Risk Committee at Blackbaud. Her focus on cyber resilience and aviation safety speaks directly to how cascading satellite failures can ripple across global transportation networks.
What’s on the Agenda
The 2026 program spans two dedicated tracks — technical and operational — covering the threat landscape from the ground station to geostationary orbit and beyond. Among the priority topics:
- Golden Dome and the Future of U.S. Space Security — How the emerging Golden Dome missile defense architecture is reshaping space cyber resilience and commercial-government collaboration.
- AI-Enabled Threat Detection and Defense — Securing autonomous satellite operations against adversarial AI attacks, and deploying machine-speed automated response across satellite and ground systems.
- Nation-State TTPs and Cyber Warfare — Adversary tactics targeting space assets, including electronic warfare, jamming, spoofing, and the growing kinetic-cyber nexus.
- Multi-Orbit Security (LEO/MEO/GEO) — Handoff vulnerabilities, constellation-level security architecture, and the unique challenges of securing proliferated low-Earth orbit systems.
- Supply Chain Security — Hardware and firmware vulnerabilities in long-lifecycle components exposed to nation-state supply chain manipulation, plus SBOM requirements and trusted foundry strategies.
- Quantum and Post-Quantum Cryptography — Migration strategies and timeline planning for the quantum era, as space systems face unique challenges in upgrading cryptographic infrastructure on orbit.
- Space-Dependent Critical Infrastructure — How satellite failures cascade into power grids, GPS-dependent transport, and compromised disaster response.
- TT&C Protocol Security — Securing telemetry, tracking, and command links, and detecting intrusions across over-the-air update channels.
- Regulatory and Compliance Landscape — NIST SP 800-82, FCC licensing requirements, DoD CMMC, and emerging international frameworks for space system operators in 2026.
Live Crisis Simulation with Space ISAC
A recurring highlight of CyberSat, the Space ISAC-hosted tabletop exercise returns as a limited-access event within the unclassified program. Attendees put incident response skills to the test against a realistic, high-stakes scenario involving a live satellite cyber incident — an exercise that has become a must-attend component of the conference.
Who Attends
CyberSat draws from across the space and cybersecurity ecosystem: Space Force, the intelligence community, DoD, NATO allies, DARPA, NSA, and NRO sit alongside satellite operators including SES, Iridium, Eutelsat, and Redwire Space. System engineers from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Parsons, and QinetiQ share the room with CISOs from Voyager Space, United Launch Alliance, and Aerospacelab. The Aerospace Corporation, Sandia National Laboratories, JHUAPL, and MITRE round out a roster that reads like a who’s who of space security practitioners.
Registration and Pricing
Early bird pricing runs through August 21, 2026. Industry combo passes (unclassified + classified) start at $1,799, with government rates as low as $599 for the full program. Unclassified-only industry passes begin at $1,099, and a dedicated rate is available for sales and business development professionals.
CyberSat 2026 runs November 2–5. Registration and program details are available at cybersatsummit.com.
