As countries boost own space missions, US warns its firms against spying
US warned companies to be on guard for facility visit requests, and attempts to gather confidential information at conferences.
The U.S. warned this year that China seeks to match or surpass it as a leader in space by 2045
The American space sector was alerted by U.S. counterintelligence agencies on Friday to be wary of attempts by foreign intelligence organizations to steal trade secrets and research in order to advance their own countries' space programs.
According to a U.S. counterintelligence officer speaking to Reuters, "we anticipate growing threats to this burgeoning sector of the U.S. economy," adding that "China and Russia are among the leading foreign intelligence threats to the U.S. space industry."
In a two-page bulletin, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) claimed that unidentified foreign entities were using cyberattacks and other strategies to gain access to the American space industry. These strategies included strategic investment through joint ventures and acquisitions.
With the U.S. space sector investing billions of dollars in the development of new rockets and other equipment, the move is the latest effort by Washington to increase awareness about a problem that has long troubled counterintelligence authorities.
The memo cautioned businesses to be on the lookout for requests for facilities visits and tries to collect private information at conferences. Additionally, it warned that hiring practices such as offers of paid travel overseas or consulting work in exchange for confidential information put specific individuals at risk.
It advised organizations to track "peculiar incidents" and create "insider threat" programs as part of screening candidates for sensitive jobs, as well as to call the FBI or AFOSI if they have any worries about being targeted.
Chinese hackers are allegedly targeting American space technology, according to U.S. authorities who claim they have entered computers at the NASA Goddard Space Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory as well as many other businesses engaged in satellite, space, and aviation technology.
Chinese national Tao Li was given a 40-month prison term in 2019 for conspiring to smuggle technology fit for the military and space into China, including radiation-resistant power amplifiers and circuits.
U.S. military sources claim Beijing regards space as essential to its military strategy, despite the fact that China claims its space program is for peaceful purposes.
This year, the United States issued a warning that China aims to catch up to or surpass it as a space power by 2045.
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