NASA Hackers Steal Data From Space Mission Systems Using A Cheap Device

NASA has revealed that hackers were able to illegally access and steal data from its various mission systems using a cheap computer device known as the Raspberry Pi. One of the systems exploited by the hackers was a project that includes the Mars Curiosity rover.

The cyber-attack on NASA occurred in April 2018. Following months of investigation, NASA released an official report explaining the details of the security breach.

According to the space agency, the hackers used an employee’s Raspberry Pi device to access its system. This device, which costs somewhere around $25 to $35, is a series of single-board computers that are as big as a credit card. These were designed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in the U.K. as helpful tools in teaching children in developing countries about computer science.

Using the Raspberry Pi device, the hackers were able to connect to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a research and development facility that primarily focuses on robotic spacecraft and Earth-orbit missions.

NASA reported that the hackers were able to access and steal 500 megabytes of data related to its missions systems. Some of the files contained information on the Mars Science Laboratory Mission, which also includes details about the Curiosity rover’s mission.

Aside from the JPL, the hackers were also able to access NASA’s Deep Space Network, which collects data and commands from interplanetary space missions through the use of radio antenna systems.

Following news of the data breach last year, the Johnson Space Center in Houston immediately disconnected from JPL and Deep Space Network’s systems in order to protect NASA’s other programs, such as those used by the International Space Station.

“Johnson officials were concerned the cyber attackers could move laterally from the gateway into their mission systems, potentially gaining access and initiating malicious signals to human space flight missions that use those systems,” NASA’s Office of Inspector General stated in the report.

According to NASA, the security breach highlighted the weaknesses in its system. Following the incident, the space agency noted that it is already taking the necessary steps to implement tighter security to protect its systems and networks.