IEEE RISC 2026 (IEEE Conference on Resilience and Integrated Security for Space and Critical Systems) is an academic conference held in San Jose, California, USA on 2026-11-04. The paper submission deadline is 2026-08-15. Acceptance notifications are sent on 2026-09-20.
Space technologies are no longer passive infrastructure; they are active drivers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Through global connectivity, remote sensing, and Earth observation, space systems now form the backbone of critical terrestrial operations. The growing involvement of commercial players and the democratization of space access are accelerating this transformation at an unprecedented pace.
Space systems are increasingly embedded within critical cyber-physical ecosystems, directly enabling and shaping autonomous transportation, smart energy grids, water treatment plants, disaster response, global communications, defense operations, space medicine, and deep-space exploration. This deep integration means that the security and resilience of space systems is no longer a niche concern. It is a foundational requirement for societal continuity.
Yet the unique operational environment of space introduces distinct and underexplored security challenges. Space systems depend on complex, long-lifecycle software and hardware exposed to supply chain manipulation, network-based intrusions, adversarial AI, electronic warfare, and nation-state threats. As these systems become increasingly intertwined with critical infrastructure on the ground, in the air, and in orbit, the attack surface expands in ways that existing security frameworks are not equipped to address.
RISC is the premier venue for security and resilience research where space systems are the subject, the enabler, or a point of failure. We welcome original submissions addressing the security and resilience of space systems, space-related assets, cyber-physical integration, supporting ground systems, and emerging threats across terrestrial and non-terrestrial critical systems. RISC places particular emphasis on high-consequence domains where space dependencies are least understood and unprotected: autonomous transportation, smart energy grids, space medicine, and deep-space human exploration. In these domains security failure carries severe consequences.
List of Topics
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
Space Systems Security and Resilience:
Security and resilience of satellite constellations, orbital infrastructure, and ground control systems across LEO, MEO, and GEO
Security and resilience of supporting ground systems
Secure Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) protocols, over-the-air updates, and anomaly/intrusion detection for space assets
AI/ML, trustworthy autonomy, and edge AI security for space operations and cyber defense
Secure hardware, firmware, and supply chain assurance for space systems
Communications and Cryptography:
Post-quantum cryptography and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for space-to-ground and inter-satellite links
Spoofing, jamming, and anti-interference for space-based navigation and communications
Secure software-defined networking for space systems
Cyber-Physical Integration and Critical Infrastructure:
Secure integration of space systems with terrestrial cyber-physical, IIoT, and cross-layer infrastructures
Security and resilience of space-dependent transportation, energy, water, and autonomous systems
Digital twins for space infrastructure modeling and resilience assessment
Adversarial Threats:
Cyber threats targeting space assets
Threat modeling, adversarial AI, and offensive security in space cyber conflict
High-Consequence Applications Policy & Governance:
Security and resilience for space medicine, deep-space exploration, and disaster response
Policy, standards, and regulatory frameworks for space cybersecurity and resilience
Emerging and Special Topics
Resilient Space Medicine:
As space missions transition from Earth-reliant to Earth-independent, the resilience of onboard medical and biological systems becomes a primary security concern. To address this, we seek papers on the engineering of autonomous medical architectures that can withstand the "new normal" of deep space environments.
Security of the "Internet of Medical Things" (IoMT)
Radiation-Resilient Computing for In Situ Analytics
Self-Driving Labs & Biological Automation
Explainable AI (xAI) for Clinical Autonomy
Cyber-Biosecurity & Genomic Privacy.