Russia remains focused on trying to disrupt SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink, according to CEO Elon Musk.
“Starlink has resisted Russian cyberwar jamming and hacking attempts so far, but they’re ramping up their efforts,” he said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Musk issued the tweet on the same day the US and its Western allies officially blamed the Russian government for launching a hack in February that disrupted satellite internet access at rival provider Viasat.
The attack—which involved data-wiping malware— was allegedly designed to cut off the Ukrainian government’s access to satellite internet right as Russia began to invade the country. But the disruption was so bad it shut down tens of thousands of Viasat internet modems across Europe, rendering them inoperable. The US and the EU now fear the Kremlin could launch similar attacks in the future that risk spilling over into other parts of the globe.
According to Musk, Russia has also been trying to target Starlink, which is now serving an estimated 150,000 users in Ukraine. Back on March 4, he tweeted that Starlink had fended off a “signal jamming” attack.
Details about the signal jamming incident remain thin. But in a tweet, Musk wrote: “Some Starlink terminals near conflict areas were being jammed for several hours at a time. Our latest software update bypasses the jamming. Am curious to see what’s next!”
Russia is likely trying to knock Starlink offline because the satellite internet service has been supplying high-speed broadband to both civilians and Ukrainian soldiers on the frontlines of the war. The head of Russia’s space agency has even threatened Musk with consequences for supplying the Ukrainian military with the Starlink equipment.
Tuesday’s tweet from Musk signals SpaceX has been bolstering its defenses to fend off both signal-jamming attacks and potential intrusions into the company’s network. The US also says it's “taking steps to defend against Russia’s irresponsible actions.”