Japanese space agency JAXA hit by cyberattack amid hacking spree by China

Japan's space agency was hit by cyberattacks even as hackers failed to access sensitive information about rockets and satellite operations, a spokesperson revealed Wednesday (Nov 29).

“There was a possibility of unauthorised access by exploiting the vulnerability of network equipment,” the spokesperson at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was quoted as saying by Reuters. However, the officialdeclinedto elaborate on details, such as when did the attack takeplace.

JAXA got to know about the attack after an external organisation conducted an internal audit, as per the spokesperson.

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He also declinedto identify the organisation's name.

A detailed investigation is going on into the hacking attempt and it was not revealed who could be orchestrating this.

According to Japanese media, the attack took place in the summer. They were informed about the same by the police during autumn.

The suspect

Earlier in September this year, Japan, along with the US, had jointly warned global corporations against the China-linked hacker group BlackTech in a cybersecurity advisory.

"BlackTech has demonstrated capabilities in modifying router firmware without detection and exploiting routers’ domain-trust relationships to pivot from international subsidiaries to headquarters in Japan and the United States, which are the primary targets," the statement said.

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According to Japan's National Police Agency, the China-linked group has been carrying outcyberattacks on governments and tech-sector companies in the United States and East Asia since around 2010.

Previous breaches blamed on China

In August, China-backed hackers were held responsible by Japan for a months-long cyberattack campaign, in whichJapan’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) was targeted.

It was revealed that the hackers may have gained access to sensitive data for as much as nine months, from last autumn to June this year.

Reason

As Japan deepens its militaryand strategic ties with the US and other regional allies, it has become a vulnerable target for Chinese hackers.

Government cyber securityexperts in both the US and the UK have expressed strong reservations about Japan’s ability to safely handle data.

(With inputs from agencies)