The results were depressing. Both the CubeSats failed at a most basic level, with no authentication protocols, and they were broadcasting signals without encryption. With a few pieces of code Willbold would have been able to take control of the satellites' basic control functions and lock out the legitimate owner, which he demonstrated during the talk with a simulation.
The results showed that security systems were way down on the list of priorities when it comes to satellite design. Only two of the respondents had tried any kind of penetration testing. The problem, he opined, was that space science is such a rarefied field that the developers just didn't have the security skills to do a rigorous shakedown of a satellite in the first place.
As for what would happen if a satellite was hijacked, Willbold suggested a number of alternatives. They could be used to transmit attack code to targets on the ground, or to talk to other satellites in a constellation and subvert those too. In a worst-case scenario, a satellite could be moved to crash into another one, spewing debris all over orbit and potentially knocking out more systems.if it would be possible to retrofit security systems to satellites, Willbold wasn't hopeful.