Osmium and BackBox.org have announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on advanced cybersecurity solutions, with a particular focus on addressing the unique challenges of the aerospace sector. This partnership has been sealed with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which marks the beginning of a synergistic relationship, combining Osmium’s expertise in the design of secure and resilient embedded systems and communication solutions for the aerospace industry with BackBox’s extensive experience in offensive cybersecurity, ethical hacking, and penetration testing.

Leveraging BackBox’s Expertise in Cybersecurity

BackBox.org, renowned for its robust Linux distribution tailored for cybersecurity professionals, brings a wealth of experience in penetration testing and ethical hacking. These capabilities are essential in assessing and fortifying complex IT systems against evolving threats. Through this collaboration, BackBox.org will extend its cybersecurity expertise to the aerospace domain by working closely with Osmium to enhance resilience in space systems.

Osmium: Resilience of Embedded Systems and Communications for Space and Aviation

Osmium is a cybersecurity company with the mission of safeguarding the aerospace industry’s digital transformation and enabling the secure use of digitalization, connectivity, and SW-based spacecraft and aircraft to guarantee the safety, integrity, and resilience of its customer’s missions and operations. Osmium is developing a hardened Linux operating system designed for satellites, i.e., the Osmium OS. It provides features such as:

• Active Security Controls: Security-focused Linux distro built specifically for small satellites, featuring active security controls, e.g., secure boot, sandboxing and secure communication.
• Secure Configuration: Facilitates automated and robust system configurations for development and integration teams with low (or none) Linux security experience
• Vulnerability Assessment: Streamlines software vulnerability evaluations for both the OS itself and the hosted apps.
• Long-term support and Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates: Secure OTA updates and security patches are assured during the entire product lifecycle (mission).

Key Areas of Collaboration

Under the terms of the MoU, Osmium and BackBox.org will collaborate in several areas:

1. Knowledge Sharing: Mutual exchange of expertise in IT and space cybersecurity to drive innovation and improve capabilities.

2. Training and Development: Development of training programs to upskill teams and advance knowledge in both organizations.

3. Research and Development: Joint R&D initiatives, including the creation of a specialized aerospace-focused BackBox Linux distribution.

More in detail, BackBox.org and Osmium will merge their knowledge for building specialized cybersecurity tools. This includes, on the one hand, the development of a tailored version of the BackBox Linux distribution that integrates tools suited for the penetration testing and ethical hacking of aerospace systems and applications. On the other hand, Osmium OS will benefit from the assessment of BackBox.org expert community to further enhance its security capabilities.

A Joint Contribution and Shared Vision for Aerospace Cybersecurity

This partnership represents a significant step towards bridging the gap between traditional cybersecurity solutions, commonly used in IT applications such as web and cloud services, and the specialized requirements of space systems, representing a unicum worldwide. As the aerospace industry continues to grow and face increasingly sophisticated threats, collaborations like this will be vital in ensuring robust security measures.

By combining Osmium’s focus on resilient systems for space with BackBox’s expertise in ethical hacking and penetration testing, this partnership is poised to set a new standard for cybersecurity in aerospace. Together, the two companies aim to drive innovation, strengthen defenses, and ensure the safe and secure operation of critical systems in one of the world’s most challenging environments.

This MoU is just the beginning of a promising journey toward advancing cybersecurity in the aerospace domain, leveraging the unique strengths of both Osmium and BackBox.org