Accenture invests in SpiderOak to elevate satellite communications security in space

NEW YORK -- Accenture has made a strategic investment, through Accenture Ventures, in SpiderOak, a leader in zero-trust cybersecurity and resiliency solutions for next generation space systems.

Based in Reston, Virginia, SpiderOak’s OrbitSecure product suite brings zero trust security to zero gravity environments. OrbitSecure leverages a powerful combination of no-knowledge encryption and distributed-ledger technology in order to meet the unique demands of cybersecurity in space.

The product suite includes a fully decentralized key management system that helps enable full availability and continued operations in space, even within disconnected or highly contested networks. This increases resiliency for multi-vendor, multi-network, mesh proliferated low-Earth orbit networks by significantly reducing the attack surface and opportunities for adversaries to jam, disrupt, modify, or contest space communications and satellite services.

“As the space economy grows, we anticipate that global demand for secure communications will soar,” said Paul Thomas, Space Innovation Lead, Technology Innovation at Accenture. “Our work with SpiderOak is the start of an exciting journey to enable secure communications in space and combine SpiderOak’s technology with solutions we are creating at Accenture, such as satellite communications, ground station as-a-service, remote IoT device-to-Satellite data, Space R&D and earth observation data.”

According to Accenture’s Technology Vision 2023 report, 99% of survey respondents estimate advancements in science tech will have an impact on their organizations’ business processes over the next three to five years. The rapid increase in the number of satellites in space – government and commercial – has established a need for a hybrid, multi-party environment built with security by design. As emerging technologies accelerate science and impact business transformation, cybersecurity needs to be at the forefront for enterprises.

“Cybersecurity cannot be an add on, option, or silo in space. To protect and enable our future, we must give cybersecurity the same priority in space as it has now throughout critical infrastructure on the ground,” said Tom Patterson, Quantum and Space Security lead at Accenture. “Working with SpiderOak, we can help our clients put zero trust security into zero gravity and take strategic advantage of these developments to transform their businesses in coming years, and ultimately the futures of their industries.”

“As organizations look for solutions to innovate at speed with the rate of growth in space, SpiderOak is well positioned to empower commercial and government customers with our revolutionary cybersecurity platform for space communications,” said Dave Pearah, CEO, SpiderOak. “We believe our participation in Accenture Project Spotlight, combined with Accenture’s deep experience with leading companies in the aerospace and defense industry and commitment to space innovation and security, will help drive increased awareness and adoption of our secure end-to-end satellite security offerings.”

SpiderOak is the latest company to join Accenture Ventures’ Project Spotlight, an engagement and investment program that targets emerging technology companies that can help fill strategic innovation gaps for the Global 2000. In addition to capital investments, Accenture Venture’s Project Spotlight offers unprecedented access to Accenture’s technology domain expertise and its enterprise clients.

Technology companies co-innovate with Accenture at its Innovation Hubs, Labs and Liquid Studios, working with subject matter experts to adapt their solutions to the enterprise market and scale faster and more effectively.

Terms of the investment were not disclosed.