Phishing and Malware Attacks Against NASA Employees Have Doubled

guest · Apr 7, 2020

Phishing and Malware Attacks Against NASA Employees Have Doubled
April 7, 2020
https://hotforsecurity.bitdefender....gainst-nasa-employees-have-doubled-22891.html

NASA’s Security Operations Center (SOC) experts have issued a warning regarding a growing trend toward phishing attempts, malware attacks, or just people accessing malicious sites.

Many NASA employees have started to work from home, just like numerous other employees throughout the world. And, just like everyone else, they are now more exposed to phishing attempts and other types of cyberattacks, which are usually blocked by the SOC.
The volume of cyberattacks has increased considerably with the advancement of the COVID-19 pandemic, and NASA is a prime target for specific attacks

“Cyber criminals have increased sending emails with malicious attachments and links to fraudulent websites, attempting to trick victims into revealing sensitive information and gain access to NASA systems, networks, and data,” reads the NASA advisory.
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Ars Technica: NASA sees an “exponential” jump in malware attacks as personnel work from home

The wave over the past few days includes a(n):

Doubling of email phishing attempts

Exponential increase in malware attacks on NASA systems

Double the number of mitigation-blocking of NASA systems trying to access malicious sites (often unknowingly) due to users accessing the Internet

The last item is particularly concerning because it suggests that NASA employees and contractors are clicking on malicious links sent in email and text messages at twice the rate as normal. Tricking people into clicking on malicious links or opening malicious email attachments remains one of the easiest ways to gain entry into enterprise networks and individual computers users alike.
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guest · Jun 9, 2020

NASA cyber incidents up 366 percent, cybersecurity budget down $3.1M
June 9, 2020
https://www.scmagazine.com/home/sec...p-366-percent-cybersecurity-budget-down-3-1m/

That the DopplePaymer ransomware gang claimed to breach NASA contractor DMI shouldn’t come as any surprise, considering that the space agency – and potentially by extension any organization in its orbit – is a frequent target of cyberattacks.

Atlas VPN found that cyber incidents at NASA increased by 366 percent in 2019 to 1,468 incidents, compared to only 315 the year before. Meanwhile, NASA’s cybersecurity budget decreased by $3.1 million.

“Incidents caused by improper usage increased the most, from 180 in 2018 to 1,329 in 2019, representing a 638 percent increase per year,” according to an Atlas VPN blog post.
That’s what makes the breach at DMI so troubling. “The theft and ransom of NASA data from a third-party contractor could be dangerous in the wrong hands,” said Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate with Comparitech.
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Minimalist · Jul 4, 2020

NASA Still Struggling With Agency-Wide Cybersecurity Program

A recent Inspector General's report finds that NASA still struggles with implementing agency-wide cybersecurity policies despite spending about $2.3 billion on IT, networking and security technology in 2019.
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https://www.databreachtoday.com/nasa-still-struggling-agency-wide-cybersecurity-program-a-14560

guest · Sep 22, 2020

Congress Questions NASA on Cybersecurity Efforts
Space Agency Still a Prime Target for Hackers, Officials Say
September 21, 2020
https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/congress-questions-nasa-on-cybersecurity-efforts-a-15030

Foreign and domestic hacking activity targeting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA, continues to grow at a time when many staffers are working at home, space agency officials testified at a Friday congressional hearing where they were questioned about risk mitigation efforts.

"[...] Multiple NASA [inspector general] and [Government Accountability Office] reports have identified weaknesses and ongoing concerns with NASA's information security. Further, they have ranked the issue as a top agency challenge."
One of those inspector general's reports, released in June, found that NASA continues to struggle with implementing agencywide cybersecurity policies despite spending about $2.3 billion on IT, networking and security technology in 2019 (see: NASA Still Struggling With Agency-Wide Cybersecurity Program).
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Martin also noted that NASA has a "decentralized" culture, which makes implementing IT and security standards difficult. He said the space agency sometimes struggles with implementing agencywide standards and ensuring that all employees follow those rules.

Seaton noted that NASA employees and contractors are also relying more on personal devices, such as laptops and smartphones, to help them complete their work. This has led to an increase in phishing attacks, with hackers looking for easy ways into the agency's network.
NASA expects to carry out all those guidelines and practices soon, Seaton said. "The good news is that we see a lot of consistency with best practices that we are already implementing."
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