- Why in news
- On 26 February 2026, CERT-In and SIA-India released joint advisory Space Cyber Security Guidelines at the DefSat Conference & Expo 2026 in New Delhi (24-26 February 2026).
- What it is
- The Space Cyber Security Guidelines are a framework for securing space communication assets such as satellites, ground stations and supply chains. CERT-In, India's national cyber incident response agency, developed them with SIA-India, the space industry body. They set out principles, recommended controls and responsibilities for each stakeholder.
- Who made it
- CERT-In, under MeitY, developed the framework together with SIA-India.
- Legal status
- The guidelines are advisory, not binding.
- CERT-In's legal basis
- CERT-In is the national agency for incident response under Section 70B of the IT Act, 2000.
- Stakeholders covered
- Government agencies, satellite service providers, ground station operators, equipment vendors and private space enterprises.
- About SIA-India
- SIA-India is a non-profit body representing India's space industry, with satellite operators, manufacturers, startups, academic institutions and law firms as members.
- Adaptive model
- The guidelines will be refined periodically through structured industry consultation.
Don’t confuse with CERT-In vs NCIIPC: CERT-In is the national agency for incident response under Section 70B of the IT Act. NCIIPC protects critical information infrastructure and is a separate body.
Don’t confuse with SIA-India vs IN-SPACe: SIA-India is a non-profit industry association. IN-SPACe is the government's space sector promotion and authorisation body.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Satellites support connectivity, navigation, broadcasting, disaster response and national security, so securing them protects the economy and strategic operations.
- The guidelines bring industry and government together on shared cyber standards for a growing private space sector.
Problems
- The guidelines are advisory, so compliance depends on voluntary adoption.
- Supply chains and ground infrastructure are many and spread out, which makes them hard to secure.
Way forward
- Move key controls from advisory to mandatory for critical space assets, as the sector matures.
- Review the guidelines regularly with industry and build secure-by-design practices into satellites and ground systems.
Put in your answer
Section 70B, IT Act 2000: Gives CERT-In its statutory role as national agency for cyber incident response.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Advisory guidelines on space cyber security; relevant to the syllabus but UPSC rarely asks about advisory documents.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.