“What’s interesting about this is that it’s very, very easy,” says Nve. “Anyone can do it: phishers or Chinese hackers … it’s like a very big Wi-Fi network that’s easy to access.”
Nve’s research proves that anyone using satellite Internet is not as safe as they think they are. A hacker that knows how to do this can set up fake websites designed to look and act like the real thing and steal your password information or install malicious software on your computer. So far, Nve has tested this out on geosynchronous satellites aimed at Europe, Africa and South America, but he says that there is little doubt that the same tricks would work on satellites facing North America or anywhere else.