Security researchers from UC San Diego and the University of Maryland have discovered that nearly half of all geostationary satellites in Earth's orbit are transmitting unencrypted sensitive data. This includes private voice calls, text messages, and consumer internet traffic, as well as communications from critical infrastructure systems such as energy and water suppliers. The researchers conducted a three-year study using an off-the-shelf satellite receiver, which cost $800, to capture this data. Following their findings, they alerted affected organizations, including T-Mobile and AT&T in Mexico, which have since started encrypting their data. However, many critical infrastructure providers have yet to address their vulnerabilities, leaving substantial amounts of satellite data exposed for the foreseeable future.