In a briefing yesterday, Chief cabinet secretary Matsuno said the network server of Japan’s aerospace exploration agency (JAXA) was hacked. JAXA is the agency responsible for developing and launching satellites into orbit and other advanced missions such as human exploration of the moon.
During the investigation, the agency temporarily shut down part of its network to assess the extent of the incident. So far, no data leaks have been confirmed.
It is believed that the hackers gained unauthorized access to JAXA’s central Active Directory server that manages information such as employee IDs, passwords and viewing privileges via a vulnerability disclosed by the network equipment manufacturer in June of this year.
JAXA told Japanese media that they became aware of the hack when they were contacted by law enforcement in the fall and that the system was likely hacked during the summer.
This is not the first time JAXA has been hit by a cyberattack. In 2016 and 2017, it was among 200 Japanese companies and research institutes allegedly targeted by Chinese military hackers.
Ted Miracco, CEO, Approov Mobile Security had this to say:
“The cyberattack on Japan’s aerospace exploration agency (JAXA) bears all the characteristics reminiscent of past incidents, raising questions about the involvement of state-sponsored actors. In the historical context previous attacks were linked to Chinese military hackers, and the reported exploitation of a vulnerability disclosed by a network equipment manufacturer in June adds a layer of sophistication to the attack, indicating a state-sponsored attack.
“The motivation behind the cyber intrusion, given the nature of JAXA’s operations in satellite development and advanced missions, points towards an interest in strategic intelligence and technological advancements. Understanding the identity, methods, and motivations of the perpetrators becomes crucial in fortifying cybersecurity measures to mitigate future risks, as these attacks are unlikely to stop anytime soon.”
The fact that this organization has been pwned three times says to me that they really need to get their act together in terms of being secure. Because being pwned once is a problem. Three times being pwned screams major problem.
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Japan’s Space Agency Pwned…. Again
In a briefing yesterday, Chief cabinet secretary Matsuno said the network server of Japan’s aerospace exploration agency (JAXA) was hacked. JAXA is the agency responsible for developing and launching satellites into orbit and other advanced missions such as human exploration of the moon.
During the investigation, the agency temporarily shut down part of its network to assess the extent of the incident. So far, no data leaks have been confirmed.
It is believed that the hackers gained unauthorized access to JAXA’s central Active Directory server that manages information such as employee IDs, passwords and viewing privileges via a vulnerability disclosed by the network equipment manufacturer in June of this year.
JAXA told Japanese media that they became aware of the hack when they were contacted by law enforcement in the fall and that the system was likely hacked during the summer.
This is not the first time JAXA has been hit by a cyberattack. In 2016 and 2017, it was among 200 Japanese companies and research institutes allegedly targeted by Chinese military hackers.
Ted Miracco, CEO, Approov Mobile Security had this to say:
“The cyberattack on Japan’s aerospace exploration agency (JAXA) bears all the characteristics reminiscent of past incidents, raising questions about the involvement of state-sponsored actors. In the historical context previous attacks were linked to Chinese military hackers, and the reported exploitation of a vulnerability disclosed by a network equipment manufacturer in June adds a layer of sophistication to the attack, indicating a state-sponsored attack.
“The motivation behind the cyber intrusion, given the nature of JAXA’s operations in satellite development and advanced missions, points towards an interest in strategic intelligence and technological advancements. Understanding the identity, methods, and motivations of the perpetrators becomes crucial in fortifying cybersecurity measures to mitigate future risks, as these attacks are unlikely to stop anytime soon.”
The fact that this organization has been pwned three times says to me that they really need to get their act together in terms of being secure. Because being pwned once is a problem. Three times being pwned screams major problem.
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This entry was posted on December 1, 2023 at 8:44 am and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.