The Office of the Inspector General of the United States recently released a report in which it was mentioned that NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) had been hacked. The hack went unnoticed for about ten months. Indeed, JPL did not have the security equipment allowing it to consistently monitor and detect cyberattacks on its network.
NASA hacked !! Hackers stole 500MB of secret data
Well, in this digital world nothing is completely secure. Even the US government agency responsible for space and air science and technology, NASA was exposed to security risks. The Office of the Inspector General of the United States recently released a report in which it was mentioned that NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) had been hacked.
After further research, it was discovered to be a tiny Raspberry PI connected to the computer network of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The little Raspberry PI was connected without any authorization. Just in case, if you’re new to Raspberry Pi, it’s a minicomputer that looks like a credit card.
Raspberry PI is typically used for learning the basics of computer programming and creating DIY projects. Due to its small size and flexibility, it is not always put to good use. According to OIG reports, hackers used a Raspberry PI to create a portal to access JPL servers.
The worst part is that the hackers did not stop after accessing the JPL servers; instead, they moved further into the NASA network. You won’t believe it, but hackers have also managed to reach the DSN (Deep Space Network). For those unfamiliar with the Deep Space Network (DSN), it is NASA’s international radio telescope network.
The hackers managed to steal around 500MB of data consisting of 23 files. The stolen files also contain confidential information relating to the Mars Science Laboratory mission. The scariest part is that the hack went unnoticed for about ten months. Indeed, JPL did not have the security equipment allowing it to consistently monitor and detect cyberattacks on its network.
After detecting the hack attempt, NASA cybersecurity experts take immediate action to secure the data servers. Well, any hack by NASA is a big cause for concern, but this one clearly shows how poor the space agency’s overall security system is. So what do you think of this? Share your views in the comment box below.
