NASA warned hackers could take over Space Station!!!

'Threat to computer networks is tangible and expanding in both scope and frequency'

Paul Martin, the NASA inspector general, is reporting NASA's computer network was so vulnerable to cyber attack that computer hackers could take control of a spacecraft while in flight

In part, the report states, "We found that computer servers on NASA's agency-wide mission network had high-risk vulnerabilities that were exploitable from the Internet. Specifically, six computer servers associated with IT assets that control spacecraft and contain critical data had vulnerabilities that would allow a remote attacker to take control of or render them unavailable." These weaknesses could have a "catastrophic" effect on NASA operations, his report explains.

In order for NASA to communicate with its spacecraft and outside agencies, the agency must be connected to the Internet. NASA uses protective barriers, called firewalls, to control access to the network. A firewall is a piece of software, usually running on its own machine, which examines data passing through it to make sure only authorized data is permitted to pass.

However, firewalls are only as effective as the rules IT professionals define for them. Firewall rules that allow unrestricted access from the Internet to computers on NASA's networks are pathways attackers can use to identify and exploit vulnerabilities on these networks, analysts noted.

Source: www.wnd.com...

That sucks! I hadn't even thought of that aspect of things before. Hacking. I would think that they, NASA IT, wuold be all over that. With the Russians, Chinese, Japan, India, Europe etc all being in the game now. Not much is secret but....

If you wanted something to be, you want to be sure you have secure access. I wonder....... Has this already happened or had been attempted? Interesting.

Any ATSers knowledgeable in this area that can provide any insight?

I will go looking around for info about possible attacks to the ISS and/or NASA.

Take over the space station with my play station Yeah lets do it

Ha. good job NASA, give them ideas.

I wonder how long now before someone does this?

Just goes to show how questionable NASA's smarts really are, afterall admitting you are vunerable to hacking, and then informing people you are vunerable to being hacked, just screams "Hack me ! I'm open"

I read that in two ways:

1) This is a genuine report and whoever wrote it is seriously concerned about adopting safety measures to cover any flaws in their network security.

2) The report is overreacting a minor issue in order to convince NASA to use its budget to hire more security. I have seen that happening inside city governments in Brazil all the time. You fabricate the need to use large ammounts of money in the budget to hire this or that company. Usually, some sort of report is needed to substantiate the need for those expenses and usually the person writing the report is getting a cut on the contract. Unless the person signing the report is just a pawn doing as his boss told him to do. Then, it is his boss who gets the cut.

I don't easily dismiss the theory behind #2 because I have seen it happen dozens of times and because NASA, like the Pentagon, are probably attacked daily by hackers. It's not like they have just suddenly realised that hackers are dangerous.

UH-OH... plant a seed and it will grow!

It is not just the space station but many of the satellites as well, it is all online these days.

sounds to me that a coming rocket might hit somewhere soon and nasa will blame it on hackers,oh no sorry,NASA dont do that kind of thing,they tell us everything!!

Just a simple Google search turns up a bunch of stories about hackers and NASA.

I thought this one was very interesting in particular:

Teen Given Six Months for Hacking Into NASA
Source: abcnews.go.com...

Why would hackers hack NASA?
If they ever got anybody killed, people would be on their keesters.

Originally posted by DuceizBack
Why would hackers hack NASA?
If they ever got anybody killed, people would be on their keesters.

This sets the stage for a potential false-flag cyber-terrorism attack.

I'm sure TPTB want anonymous gone, if it were to look like anon would do something terrible then they could really clamp down.

Theoretically speaking, of course.