US Counterintelligence warns of spy risks to space technology
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The US space industry, investing billions of dollars in developing new rockets and other technology, faces growing threats from foreign spies trying to steal its research and trade secrets, the US counterintelligence agencies warned on Friday.
Joint bulletin by FBI, NCSC, and AFOSI
As Reuters reports, the FBI, the NCSC, and the AFOSI issued a joint bulletin, saying that foreign intelligence entities, especially from China and Russia, are using various methods to gain access to the US space industry. These methods include cyberattacks, strategic investment, joint ventures, acquisitions, facility visits, conference attendance, and recruitment of employees.
“We anticipate growing threats to this burgeoning sector of the US economy,” a US counterintelligence official told Reuters. “China and Russia are among the leading foreign intelligence threats to the US space industry.”
The bulletin urged the US space companies to be vigilant and report suspicious activities to the FBI or AFOSI. It also advised them to track “peculiar incidents” and establish “insider threat” programs to vet individuals in sensitive positions.
The US authorities have long accused Chinese hackers of targeting US space know-how, including hacking computers at NASA’s Goddard Space Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as numerous companies involved in aviation, space and satellite technology.
In 2019, a Chinese national named Tao Li was sentenced to 40 months in prison for conspiring to illegally export military- and space-grade technology to China, including radiation-hardened power amplifiers and circuits.
China's take
China claims that its space program is for peaceful purposes, but US military officials say that Beijing sees space as crucial to its military strategy.
The US wants to help small and medium satellite companies that may not be aware of the risks from foreign spies and to make them more secure and resilient, a US counterintelligence official said on condition of anonymity.
The US has also warned that China seeks to match or surpass it as a leader in space by 2045.
Big satellite companies with links to the government have already faced attacks. As per a report by Los Angeles Times, Viasat Inc. had to replace over 45,000 modems across Europe and beyond after a cyberattack in 2022 before Russia invaded Ukraine. Starlink, part of SpaceX, said it faced jamming attacks when it tried to provide service to Ukraine.
The US Space Force launched a new unit this month to target enemies in space and on the ground and the threats they pose to US satellites.
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