The Digital Press

A study by UC San Diego and University of Maryland researchers found that nearly half of geostationary satellite signals, including sensitive military, corporate, and consumer communications, are transmitted unencrypted and vulnerable to eavesdropping.

Why it matters: Unencrypted satellite transmissions expose sensitive data like phone calls, military movements, and critical infrastructure controls to anyone with affordable equipment.

The big picture: Satellite communications security has been neglected, leaving vast amounts of data exposed globally, with only partial fixes by some companies.

The stakes: Vulnerabilities could enable surveillance, hacking, or disruption of critical services including power grids, military operations, and cellular networks.

Commenters say: Readers express shock over the lax security, concern about potential abuses, and calls for urgent industry-wide encryption improvements.