Which type of attack targets the integrity of spaceborne data?

Which type of attack targets the integrity of spaceborne data?

• A. Jamming of communications
• B. Data integrity attacks (data spoofing or tampering).
• C. Denial-of-service on ground stations
• D. Physical destruction

Answer: (B)

Maintaining the accuracy and trustworthiness of spaceborne data is the key idea. Data integrity attacks are those that aim to corrupt the information itself by spoofing or tampering with it, so the received data no longer reflects reality. In space systems, trusted telemetry, sensor measurements, or navigation data must be relied upon for correct decisions and operations; altering that data undermines everything that depends on it, which is why this type of attack directly targets integrity.

Jamming of communications, by contrast, disrupts the ability to receive signals, affecting availability and quality rather than the truthfulness of the data. Denial-of-service on ground stations also hits availability, making data inaccessible rather than altering its content. Physical destruction targets the hardware and the system’s existence, not the data’s accuracy.