• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'

2

Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won

3

A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'

1

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'

2

Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won

3

A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'
TechChanging Face of Security

Here’s the scary new target hackers are going after

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 4, 2015, 12:04 PM ET
Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Satellites
Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Satellites, Artist'S Conception Of Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (Stereo) Satellites Deploying Solar Panels In Earth Orbit. (Photo By Encyclopaedia Britannica/UIG Via Getty Images)Encyclopaedia Britannica UIG via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Familiar with the refrain “Hack the Planet”? Well, security researchers have made that phrase more literal.

Colby Moore, a researcher at the hacker-for-hire startup Synack, has uncovered a way to crack the global positioning system (GPS) satellite network of Globalstar, a multibillion dollar satellite communications company based in Covington, La.

Globalstar (GSAT) sells devices connected to its satellite network that track the locations of shipments and other goods. Since the company’s technology does not, according to Moore, encrypt data transmitted between such devices and its satellite network, a “man-in-the-middle” attacker can easily spoof the system.

In other words, a hacker can intercept communications beamed over the company’s Simplex data network, and then modify, fake, or jam them. The vulnerability could be exploited by intelligence agents, criminals, or enemy combatants to eavesdrop, steal cargo, or follow troop and supplies movements.

Moore described such systems as “kind of fundamentally broken from the get-go” in an interview with Reuters. Worse, the flaws are not easily addressable; they are architectural in nature, he said, and software patches would not fix them.

“We rely on these systems that were architected long ago with no security in mind, and these bugs persist for years and years,” Moore told Wired. “We need to be very mindful in designing satellite systems and critical infrastructure, otherwise we’re going to be stuck with these broken systems for years to come.”

Moore added that he suspects similar satellite communications systems, beyond Globalstar’s own, could be vulnerable, too.

Though Moore said he alerted Globalstar of the problems six months ago, the company has yet to take action in way of a solution.

Globalstar—which counts many companies in many critical industries among its customers, including oil and gas, shipping, military, and more—replied evasively to Fortune’s request for comment, sidestepping questions about a possible remediation plan and not confirming whether its data in transit are unencrypted:

Globalstar monitors the technical landscape and its systems to protect our customers. Our engineers would know quickly if any person or entity was hacking our system in a material way, and this type of situation has never been an issue to date.

Fortune recently wrote about how freight thieves are turning to cybercrime. This new research represents a chilling development in that trade. The research heralds a world in which products no longer “fall off the truck,” but rather entire trucks, planes, and cargo shipments can “fall off the map.”

Hack the planet, indeed.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

China sanctions 10 U.S. defense companies in tit-for-tat response to Pentagon’s Chinese military list
North AmericaChina
China sanctions 10 U.S. defense companies in tit-for-tat response to Pentagon’s Chinese military list
By The Associated PressJune 22, 2026
31 minutes ago
Elon Musk to get a billion shares of SpaceX if he can settle a million humans on Mars
Startups & VentureElon Musk
Elon Musk to get a billion shares of SpaceX if he can settle a million humans on Mars
By Catherina GioinoJune 22, 2026
33 minutes ago
Thibault Sottiaux, Head of Core Product and Platform OpenAI, speaking.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI’s new ‘super app’ boss hopes to persuade users and potential IPO investors that the company is about way more than just chat
By Beatrice NolanJune 22, 2026
2 hours ago
Americans are fleeing the U.S. at record rates—an ex-Google engineer who left India to build a $7.2 billion AI firm says they’re making a mistake
SuccessView from the C-Suite
Americans are fleeing the U.S. at record rates—an ex-Google engineer who left India to build a $7.2 billion AI firm says they’re making a mistake
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 22, 2026
3 hours ago
Forget speed: L’Oréal’s innovation chief says AI rewards companies with history
EuropeL'Oreal
Forget speed: L’Oréal’s innovation chief says AI rewards companies with history
By Francesca CassidyJune 22, 2026
3 hours ago
Europe must take opportunity to ‘dream bigger’ if it’s to seize its innovation moment
Magazineeuropean economy
Europe must take opportunity to ‘dream bigger’ if it’s to seize its innovation moment
By Francesca CassidyJune 22, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
1 day ago
Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won
Success
Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won
By Emma BurleighJune 21, 2026
1 day ago
A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'
Economy
A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'
By Jason MaJune 20, 2026
2 days ago
NBC’s Tom Llamas climbed from 15-year-old intern to the top anchor chair—and still isn’t satisfied: ‘If you're not growing, you're dying'
Success
NBC’s Tom Llamas climbed from 15-year-old intern to the top anchor chair—and still isn’t satisfied: ‘If you're not growing, you're dying'
By Preston ForeJune 21, 2026
1 day ago
'I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out': a record 51% of Americans aren't 'cost secure' on health
Health
'I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out': a record 51% of Americans aren't 'cost secure' on health
By Ali Swenson, Amelia Thomson-Deveaux and The Associated PressJune 20, 2026
2 days ago
Tenzin Seldon: The GLP-1 boom is the biggest climate story no one is pricing in
Commentary
Tenzin Seldon: The GLP-1 boom is the biggest climate story no one is pricing in
By Tenzin SeldonJune 21, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.