Japan's space agency falls victim to cyberattack

TOKYO, Japan: Japan's space agency recently fell victim to a cyberattack, but reassuringly, the compromised information did not pertain to critical rocket and satellite operations, as confirmed by a spokesperson this week.

"There was a possibility of unauthorized access by exploiting the vulnerability of network equipment," the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) spokesperson said. However, specific details regarding the timing and particulars of the attack were not disclosed.

JAXA became aware of this potential breach when they received a tip-off from an external organization, prompting them to initiate an internal investigation. The spokesperson refrained from disclosing the identity of this external organization.

The investigation into the incident is underway, and JAXA is diligently working to ascertain the extent of the breach and any potential ramifications.

Japanese media reports indicate that the cyberattack transpired during the summer, with law enforcement becoming aware of the breach and subsequently alerting JAXA in the autumn. The Yomiuri newspaper was the first to break the news regarding this incident.