Hacker Used A Device The Size Of A Credit Card To Steal Data From NASA

Don’t believe us? Here’s a perfect example.

A hacker in the United States of America apparently used a tiny Raspberry Pi computer to penetrate NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory network to steal sensitive data.

For your information, a Raspberry Pi is worth USD35 (RM135) and is merely the size of a credit card!

According to a report in AFP, the act caused space flight systems to be temporarily disconnected.

What is perplexing is the fact that the attack that happened more than a year ago and was only noticed now.

There is an investigation currently still underway to find the culprit.

A report from NASA’s Office of inspector General revealed that the attacker was able to exfiltrate 23 files amounting to approximately 500 megabytes of data, including two restricted files from the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

The said mission handles the Curiosity Rover and information related to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which restricts the export of U.S. defence and military technologies.

"More importantly, the attacker successfully accessed two of the three primary JPL networks," the report read.

"Officials were concerned the cyberattackers could move laterally from the gateway into their mission systems, potentially gaining access and initiating malicious signals to human space flight missions that use those systems."

How on earth did such a dangerous breach happen?

It was reported that the attack could have taken place because a system administrator failed to update the database that determines which devices have access to the network.

So, somebody didn't do their job properly and could potentially cost NASA a bomb.