The Aerospace Corporation created the Space Attack Research and Tactic Analysis (SPARTA) matrix to address the information and communication barriers that hinder the identification and sharing of space-system Tactic, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP). SPARTA is intended to provide unclassified information to space professionals about how spacecraft may be compromised via cyber and traditional counter-space means. The matrix defines and categorizes commonly identified activities that contribute to spacecraft compromises1.
To best utilize the matrix, it is important to understand what TTPs are:
- Tactics: Represent the “why” of a SPARTA technique or sub-technique. It is the threat actor’s tactical goal and the reason they are performing a technique. For example, a threat actor may want to achieve initial access on a spacecraft via cyber means.
- Techniques: Represent “how” a threat actor achieves a tactical goal by performing a threat action. For example, a threat actor may exploit trusted relationships to achieve initial access.
- Sub-techniques: Represent a variation or more specific instance of the threat actor’s behavior used to achieve a goal. Sub-techniques typically describe behavior at a lower level than a technique and are considered children of the parent technique. For example, a threat actor may compromise mission collaborators (academia, international, etc.) to achieve their initial access.
- Procedures: Represent specific implementation the threat actor uses for techniques or sub-techniques. Procedures are the step-by-step descriptions of how the threat actor plans to go about achieving their purpose. It details how the general techniques/sub-techniques will be carried out.
SPARTA intends to document the “art of the possible” as it relates to TTPs that could be used on spacecraft, and will continually evolve as new TTPs are identified.