Press Release

IronNet Sees Rapid Growth in Collective Defense Community for Space, Adds Additional Organizations

By SpaceRef Editor
October 5, 2021
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IronNet, Inc. (NYSE: IRNT) (“IronNet”), an innovative leader transforming cybersecurity through Collective Defense, is continuing to scale its presence in the space industry by welcoming customers X-energy and Satelles to the Collective Defense Community for Space, which shares real-time, automated attack intelligence among community members for increased visibility and faster response to cyberattacks. 


Established to protect companies driving the space development industry, IronNet’s Collective Defense Community for Space also includes Axiom Space and Intuitive Machines, as well as strategic partner Jacobs. 


The next wave of space is being driven by the private sector with developments ranging from human travel to and from Mars, extended habitation on the moon, and the development of low-Earth orbit (LEO) communication networks. X-energy, a nuclear reactor and fuel design engineering company, is pioneering faster rocket propulsion and developing a moon-based power supply for next-generation space exploration and prolonged habitation on moonbases while Satelles, a LEO satellite-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) company is innovating communication technology by providing customers around the globe with highly secure and precise timing and location information. 


Fueled by heavy investment in R&D, ground-breaking intellectual property, and a commitment to protecting human resources, the space development industry is increasingly prioritizing its cybersecurity investments, as evidenced by the sector’s flagship companies coming together to secure advanced space development efforts with IronNet. 


X-energy CEO Clay Sell said, “Given that we are developing unique ways to accelerate space travel to Mars and empower a moon-based power supply that supports extended and sustainable human habitation, protecting our intellectual property is absolutely critical. We joined IronNet’s Collective Defense Community for Space to gain a dynamic, real-time view into the cyber threat landscape across the industry in order to combat the growing cyber threat.” 


IronNet’s Collective Defense Community for Space now includes companies representing key facets of the space program continuum — from satellites and communication services, to advancements in rocket engines, to lunar exploration, and habitation. Intuitive Machines, for instance, is targeting to be the first lander at the lunar south pole in 2022, and space infrastructure-as-a-service provider Axiom Space is building the commercial successor to the International Space Station, Axiom Station. 


Designed to complement global positioning system (GPS) and other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), Satelles’ satellite time and location (STL) service provides uniquely powerful, extremely secure signals that are particularly important for critical infrastructure, including telecommunications networks, financial exchanges, electrical grids, and other sectors that depend on precise timing or location information. 


Michael O’Connor, CEO of Satelles, said, “Our goal of providing highly secure timing and positioning information is supported by IronNet’s complementary mission to secure enterprise networks through their NDR and Collective Defense capabilities. This layered security approach helps Satelles ensure that we can conduct our operations with the highest levels of cybersecurity possible.” 


A collaborative way to protect the space development industry 


IronNet’s Collective Defense Community for Space applies AI-based network detection and response, along with an embedded expert system that rates and prioritizes alerts and integrated hunt services to detect new and unidentified cyberattack behaviors. Community members can share attack intelligence anonymously and in real time for collaboration within a secure environment. 


Together, these capabilities give organizations enhanced visibility into the entire attack landscape and support often under-resourced security teams with actionable information and contextual insight from IronNet’s team of experienced hunters, who have defended some of the most critical commercial and national-level networks against sophisticated nation-state threats. Communities can comprise organizations in a state, country, supply chain, or, as in the case of the space development initiative, a customized grouping across a specific industry sector. 


IronNet Co-CEO Bill Welch said, “IronNet is transforming cybersecurity by ensuring that no one company has to defend alone against an attack on a sector at large. We are deeply committed to securing the space development industry, which is on track to become an integral driver of economic, technological, and scientific progress and prosperity. We welcome X-energy and Satelles into the Collective Defense Community for Space.” 


IronNet supports the leaders who are accelerating cybersecurity as an integral aspect of pioneering the commercial space and critical infrastructure sectors. Bringing IronNet’s expertise and [differentiated] technology to this innovative industry is intended to allow X-energy’s and Satelles’ R&D and technological advancements to continue securely. 

 

About IronNet, Inc. 


Founded in 2014 by GEN (Ret.) Keith Alexander, IronNet, Inc. (NYSE: IRNT) is a global cybersecurity leader that is transforming how organizations secure their networks by delivering the first-ever Collective Defense platform operating at scale. Employing a number of former NSA cybersecurity operators with offensive and defensive cyber experience, IronNet integrates deep tradecraft knowledge into its industry-leading products to solve the most challenging cyber problems facing the world today. 

 

SpaceRef staff editor.