Opswat tests cyber kiosk in near-space balloon flight

OPSWAT has released footage of its MetaDefender Kiosk Mini operating during a near-space cybersecurity validation mission. The device processed thousands of malware samples during the test.

The portable system was attached to a weather balloon and lifted to 104,883 feet, or 31,968 metres, where it faced temperatures as low as -43.1C, high radiation and near-vacuum pressure. The balloon burst after nearly 230 minutes, but the unit continued operating during freefall and after landing in a river.

The mission was designed to test whether a locally operated, air-gapped cybersecurity product could keep functioning in conditions where cloud access, rapid patching and physical support may not be available. The kiosk sanitises USB devices, external drives and other removable media before they enter sensitive operational environments.

OPSWAT is using the flight to argue that cybersecurity for space systems should be treated like protection for other forms of critical infrastructure. The case comes as governments and commercial operators rely more heavily on satellites, navigation systems and orbital communications.

According to the World Economic Forum's Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, 15% of organisations worldwide now include dependence on space-based assets in their cyber risk mitigation strategy. OPSWAT argues that as access to orbit becomes cheaper and more widespread, cyber threats linked to space systems are likely to expand beyond traditional attacks originating from ground-based networks.

Space risks

The threat landscape could grow to include attacks supported by spacecraft, satellites and other orbital assets positioned close to a target. OPSWAT cited cyberattacks, electronic warfare, interception, jamming, spoofing and intelligence gathering as potential risks as space infrastructure becomes more common.

Those risks are drawing more attention to how cybersecurity systems perform when deployed far from conventional support arrangements. Space-based assets, as well as remote industrial facilities on Earth, can face delayed, degraded or denied connectivity, leaving operators with little opportunity to rely on remote intervention.

During the mission, the MetaDefender Kiosk Mini ran on local compute rather than cloud services. It used OPSWAT's Deep CDR technology to process thousands of malware samples from removable media by assuming a file may be malicious, removing active content and generating a clean version.

The trial also showed that the unit could keep working through frequent movement, large temperature shifts, humidity, water exposure, ultraviolet radiation and low-pressure conditions. OPSWAT said these conditions mirror some of the environmental stresses faced by equipment used in space, defence and industrial settings.

"Space systems should be treated as critical infrastructure, and the cyber infrastructure that supports them should be treated as mission-critical infrastructure," said Benny Czarny, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, OPSWAT.

"Cybersecurity in space cannot be built around the idea that someone on Earth will always be available to fix the problem. It must be local, deterministic, segmented, and prevention-first," Czarny said.

Industrial crossover

Although OPSWAT framed the mission around space, it also pointed to existing uses for the kiosk in sectors where environmental conditions are already demanding. Customers deploy the system in industrial sites that may include flammable materials, toxic chemicals, dust, humidity and wide temperature variation.

The device holds Class 1, Division 2 certification issued by UL, which qualifies equipment for locations where flammable gases or vapours may be present. That standard is commonly used in oil and gas, chemicals and mining, where operators often need self-contained equipment that can keep functioning without frequent maintenance.

The flight serves as both a technical demonstration and a sign of how cybersecurity suppliers are positioning products for harsher operating environments. As digital systems spread into remote and safety-critical locations, vendors are under pressure to show that security tools can remain functional when network access and direct human intervention are limited.

Czarny said the central lesson from the mission was not the balloon's altitude but the operating assumptions behind the test. "More than the altitude, technology, and cool video, the idea was that cybersecurity has to work in environments where humans cannot easily reach, repair, or reset," he said.

"In space, there is no simple onsite support, quick replacement, or easy second chance. The system must have full trust before it leaves the ground," Czarny said.