Introduction
The Deep Space Network (DSN) is network of large antennas and communication centers that span the entire globe to assist in the interplanetary spacecraft missions. National Aeronautics and Space Administration use DSN to relay and track manned and unmanned space missions. The system is also used by NASA to conduct radar and radio astronomy for the exploration and making observations on the solar system and the universe in general. Also, DSN is also used in supporting and guiding particular Earth orbiting missions. The system is made up of three separate ground stations in three locations, United States, Spain and Australia. The location of the ground stations are separated by 120˚ longitude that allows a nearly constant contact and communication with the deep space(Zhang, Zhou, & Guo, 2013).
The primary reason for focusing on the DSM in this study is because of its impact on communication technologies on earth. The impact of this technology ranges from the performance of the Reed-Solomon’s codes that were initially designed to allow DSN to achieve higher data rates allowed them to be applied in the digital television and broadcasting. The DSN has also made great strides in the improvement of cyber-security by improving and advancing the communications and networks infrastructure(Zhang, Zhou, & Guo, 2013). Therefore, this paper will use a case study approach to explore the characteristics of this technology, costs and benefits that are associated with the implementation of this technology.
Research Questions
The primary goal of this section is to establish the security issues that are associated with the operations and implementation of the DSN and the resulting technologies such as the Reed-Solomon’s codes. As a result, this study shall rely on the five Information Assurance (IA) pillars that include the availability, authentication, integrity, non-repudiation and confidentiality.
Do the security measures implemented by the DSN ensure that the integrity of the data is maintained and preserved, at the reception, storage and transmission? The integrity of a system is the extent to which the information contained by the system is secure from modification by unauthorized parties. This includes the measures set up to allow the receiver to establish that the information provided by the system in accurate and to conform that the correct information is transferred from the system the receivers. The integrity of the system is a part of the security measures and as such, an exploration on the reports made on DSN’s security will be crucial in responding to this question.
How reliable and secure it the DSN’s authentication systems? Authentication is defined as the act of verifying the truth of information that is claimed to be true by an entity. Authentication differs from identification; identification is the claim made regarding an identity while authentication is the process of confirming that identity. Authentication in this case refers to the process applied by DSN to ensure that a requester of particular information, whether individuals or organizations are allowed to perform operations or access specific information. Authentication occurs in three forms, first being the acceptance of proof by the individual or system to be genuine, second is the comparing the system or person with the known attributes to prevent malicious masquerading by other entities, and the reliance on documents for verification including IDs and certificates. The authentication systems used by the DSN are standard across NASA and therefore will be easy to explore using the NASA authentication systems.
The confidentiality of a system is simply the ability of the system to protect the information it contains from being disclosed to unauthorized parties. Considering the value of the information in the current era, it is critical that a system dealing with information be secure and safe from disclosure to unauthorized parties and people. As such, the research question for confidentiality will be, “Is the DSN confidential enough with the information it handles and deals with. Considering the fact that the DSN system has been studied previously with reports complied, the most effective way of addressing this question will be studying the reports made on DSN by various parties.
Is the process of information transfer used by DSN confirmable for both the sender and the recipient? In the context of digital security, non-repudiation is the means of making sure that a message or information has been sent and received by the parties stating to have sent and received the message. Non-repudiation works to ensure that the messages sent and received originated and are received by the legitimate senders and recipients. In addition, it also means that neither the sender nor the recipient can deny sending or receiving the message or information. For DSN the systems used for such determination are similar to other security measures used across digital security and an examination of these measures will be illuminating on the non-repudiation of information by DSN.
Methods
This study will use research and explorations of the materials, scholarly articles and reports on DSN and its security measures as its primary data source. The reasons for this approach is due to impracticalities involved in physically accessing the three facilities that are in three different continents for a questionnaire survey or interviews with the employees. As such the evaluation model will involve a systematic approach to every research question with emphasis placed on the security vulnerabilities that the system has and the possible solutions to them.
The technology will be incorporated into the study in the examination of the aforementioned vulnerabilities and security capabilities and their testing. There are five major areas of interests in DSN that could be vulnerable or demonstrate security capabilities. The areas include the access controls that deal with the issue on only authorized personnel should read, modify, or delete data. The confirmation management controls that ensure only particular and authorized software is used in the organization. The division and segregation of duties and responsibilities to ensure that an individual cannot perform unauthorized actions and still evade detection. A detailed continuity of operation planning and training to ensure that significant disruptions are avoided in most of the computer dependent operations. Finally, universal system-wide security programs that provide a framework for allowing the discovery of vulnerabilities and effective implementation of countermeasures.
Limitations or Special Considerations
The limitations of the study include the fact that the sites of the DSN are in three continents and therefore cannot be accessed physically for a more effective methods of survey and data examination. Therefore, this study is limited to exploring previous research, articles and reports on DNS. In addition, DSN falls under NASA and therefore the information on the security of DNS especially the vulnerabilities are concealed and cannot be exposed to security concerns.
Timeline of Events (Notional)
The timeline of this study is expected to be three weeks. The events of this study are simply the research needed on DNS and therefore can only be categorized by the research questions.
References
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