SOCRM
Space Optical Communications Cyber Risk Mapper. An interactive decision-support tool assessing cybersecurity risks for optical and hybrid RF/optical space communication architectures supporting lunar, cislunar, and deep-space missions.
As NASA's Artemis II mission deploys the Orion Optical Communications System (O2O) to demonstrate laser-based data links from the Moon, the cybersecurity community faces a critical question: what new threat surfaces emerge when we shift from radio frequency to optical communications in space?
SOCRM addresses this by providing a configurable risk assessment engine that maps 10 threat categories across mission parameters, communication architectures, and operational environments, producing quantified risk scores with NIST SP 800-53 control mappings and MITRE ATLAS alignment.
| Threat Vector | RF Risk | Optical Risk | Delta | Segment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal Interception | 85% | 15% | ▼ 70% | Link |
| Communication Jamming | 80% | 25% | ▼ 55% | Link |
| Signal Spoofing | 70% | 20% | ▼ 50% | Link |
| Endpoint Compromise | 65% | 60% | ▼ 5% | Space / Ground |
| Optical Terminal Misalignment | 10% | 55% | ▲ 45% | Space |
| Supply Chain Insertion | 50% | 50% | — 0% | All |
| Key Management Failure | 55% | 45% | ▼ 10% | All |
| AI Decision Manipulation | 40% | 40% | — 0% | Space / Ground |
| Data Integrity Loss | 60% | 30% | ▼ 30% | Link |
| Ground Segment Compromise | 75% | 65% | ▼ 10% | Ground |
RiskScore = BaseThreatScore × EnvironmentMod × AutonomyMod × EncryptionMod × GroundTrustMod
Where
BaseThreatScore is determined by communication type (RF, optical, or hybrid average).
EnvironmentMod scales from LEO (0.7×) to Deep Space (1.15×).
AutonomyMod adjusts for human-in-the-loop (0.8×) vs fully autonomous (1.25×).
EncryptionMod ranges from QKD-enabled (0.4×) to no encryption (1.6×).
GroundTrustMod spans SCIF-level (0.6×) to untrusted/contested (1.7×).
The interactive dashboard allows mission planners to configure: Mission type (crewed lunar, robotic lunar, LEO station, deep space probe), communication architecture (RF only, optical only, hybrid), operational environment (LEO, MEO/GEO, cislunar, deep space), autonomy level (manual, AI-assisted, fully autonomous), encryption posture (AES-256, post-quantum, QKD, none/legacy), and ground station trust (SCIF-level, commercial, shared/allied, untrusted).
Each configuration produces real-time composite risk scores, RF vs optical comparisons, detailed threat profiles with NIST and ATLAS mappings, and segment-level attack surface maps.
Every threat vector maps to specific NIST SP 800-53 security controls and MITRE ATLAS adversarial ML tactics. The framework identifies governance gaps in SPD-5 and CCSDS standards for optical link security, producing actionable mitigation recommendations for each threat category.
NASA's Artemis II mission carries the O2O laser communications payload, developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and NASA Goddard, capable of transmitting data at 260 Mbps via infrared laser links to ground terminals at White Sands, NM and Table Mountain, CA. This builds on the LLCD (2013), LCRD (2021), TBIRD (2022), and ILLUMA-T (2023) demonstrations.
Optical communications offer significant security advantages over RF: near-zero interception surface due to sub-arcsecond beam divergence, low probability of detection, and inherent resistance to broadband jamming. However, they also introduce new threat vectors including precision pointing disruption, atmospheric denial-of-service, concentrated ground terminal targeting, and novel supply chain risks in specialized optical components.