Japan’s space agency faced cyberattacks, but hackers were unable to access sensitive information related to rockets and satellite operations, according to a spokesperson from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The agency discovered the attack through an internal audit conducted by an external organization. The spokesperson mentioned the possibility of unauthorized access by exploiting network equipment vulnerabilities but did not provide specific details about the attack’s timing. The investigation is ongoing, and the responsible organization remains unidentified.
The cyberattack reportedly occurred in the summer, with Japanese media learning about it from the police during the autumn. While the details of the attack and the identity of the perpetrators are yet to be disclosed, in September, Japan and the US jointly issued a cybersecurity advisory warning against the China-linked hacker group BlackTech. The advisory highlighted BlackTech’s capabilities in modifying router firmware without detection and exploiting routers’ domain-trust relationships.
China-linked groups have been implicated in previous cyber breaches in Japan. In August, China-backed hackers were blamed for a months-long cyberattack campaign targeting Japan’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC). The hackers may have gained access to sensitive data for up to nine months, from last autumn to June of the following year.
As Japan strengthens its military and strategic alliances with the US and other regional partners, it becomes a more attractive target for cyberattacks. Government cybersecurity experts in the US and the UK have expressed concerns about Japan’s ability to secure data as it deepens ties with allies.
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