Large Scale Hacks: U.S. satellites infiltrated for 12 minutes

It's one thing for hackers to target a video game network or newspaper website, but setting sights on United States government satellites is an entirely different situation. A new report released by Congress shows that's exactly what has been happening, as two separate orbiters have seen a total of 4 attacks since 2007. Some breaches managed to interfere with the NASA's hardware for up to 12 minutes.

Officials believe that the attacks originated from a satellite station located in Norway. Hackers near the facility are thought to have tapped into the building's internet connection from the outside, using it to gain access to the highly sensitive hardware orbiting earth. The report stated that the attackers never took full control of the satellites, and most of the key details of how the hack was achieved are being kept secret.

The satellites that were targeted are part of a joint effort between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor weather and terrain changes. It's unclear what the hackers sought to gain by poking around inside the orbiters, but the fact that they were able to successfully breach such a high-profile piece of technology should serve as a reminder that digital security needs to be taken very seriously.

(Source)

This article originally appeared on Tecca

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