NASA

Summary

ANASA Office of the Inspector General recently released a report identifying a breach that occurred in April 2018. The attackers, classified as an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), were able to access both the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) mission network, as well as the IT department of JPL’s DSN (Deep Space Network)—a worldwide network of satellite dishes used to transmit information from active spacecraft. The network was penetrated via a Raspberry Pi device, and continued infiltration through a shared network gateway. Compromised information included 500 MB of data from 23 files pertaining to Mars missions. Two of these files pertained to International Traffic in Arms Regulations related to the Mars Science Laboratory mission, according to the Office of Inspector General. Culpability has been laid upon the JPL and IT staff for multiple indiscretions surrounding standard procedures.