Japanese space agency JAXA hit by cyberattack amid hacking spree by China
Japan’s space agency, JAXA, has been targeted by cyberattacks as part of an ongoing hacking campaign believed to be orchestrated by China. However, JAXA has confirmed that no sensitive information regarding rockets and satellite operations was accessed during the cyberattack. A spokesperson from JAXA revealed that the attack was discovered after an external organization conducted an internal audit, although the specific timing of the attack was not disclosed. The investigation into the hacking attempt is currently ongoing, and the entity responsible has not been identified.
Earlier this year, Japanese media reported that the attack had occurred during the summer, with police notifying JAXA about the incident in the autumn. This incident follows a warning jointly issued by Japan and the United States in September, cautioning global corporations about the China-linked hacker group BlackTech. The advisory highlighted BlackTech’s expertise in modifying router firmware undetected and exploiting domain-trust relationships of routers to target headquarters in Japan and the US.
This is not the first instance of cyberattacks believed to originate from China targeting Japan. In August, China-backed hackers were held responsible for a cyberattack campaign that targeted Japan’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC). The hackers reportedly gained unauthorized access to sensitive data over a period of nine months, stretching from the previous autumn to June of this year.
As Japan forges stronger military and strategic alliances with the US and other regional allies, it has become a vulnerable target for cyberattacks from China. Both the US and UK government cyber security experts have expressed concerns about Japan’s ability to safeguard its data effectively.
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