To be clear, military officials aren’t just letting any old hacker have a go at their satellite. That’s why they’re holding a qualification event to find the best hackers. Announced Wednesday, the initial round of the Hack-a-Sat event will take place one month from now. In it, any hackers who have registered will get to demonstrate their skills against a test kit, known as a “flat-sat.”
Those who qualify against the flat-sat will get the chance to go up against an actual Air Force satellite in orbit at the Def Con event in Las Vegas in August. At this time, the event is scheduled to happen in-person. However, due to the coronavirus crisis, the Hack-a-Sat team is planning alternatives to host the competition remotely should Def Con be cancelled or virtualized come August.
