Integrating Ethical, Legal, and Technological Safeguards in Space-Focused Cyberbiosecurity: AI, Cloud, and Crew Considerations

Abstract

Long-duration crewed missions and orbiting habitats such as the International Space Station (ISS) present unique intersections of biological and cybersecurity risks. Cyberbiosecurity, a hybrid field that combines biosecurity and cybersecurity in the investigation of system vulnerabilities, is being addressed across multiple domains of Earth but remains underexplored in space environments. The closed-loop life-support, modular robotics, and telemetric control systems aboard space stations create novel attack surfaces, while microgravity and radiation alter microbial behavior in ways that could exacerbate bio-contamination risks. Additionally, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for equipment health monitoring, autonomous robotics, and crew support introduces new vulnerabilities, as adversarial inputs or model poisoning could compromise critical diagnostics and decision-making aids. Cloud-based infrastructures used for off-board data storage, analytics, and command relay further expand the threat surface, requiring rigorous cloud security, encryption, and isolation protocols to prevent unauthorized access or data exfiltration. This paper explores potential attack vectors in both cyber- and bio-informed arenas across launch, transit, and orbital habitats, and proposes forward-looking countermeasures for these proposed attacks. We outline a framework that incorporates ethical and legal considerations, including crew privacy rights and compliance with international space treaties and biosafety regulations. By combining AI-robust design principles, secure cloud architectures, and clear legal guidelines, our approach aims to present ideas to safeguard space-based biological operations, uphold crew well-being, and ensure mission resilience against emerging cyberbiological threats.