The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that a spokesman for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said on Wednesday that the space agency's network facilities had been attacked, but the information obtained by the hackers did not include any information important to the operation of rockets and satellites.
A JAXA spokesman said "it is possible to exploit vulnerabilities in network equipment to gain unauthorized access," but declined to elaborate on details such as when the attack occurred.
The spokesperson said the space agency became aware of the possibility of unauthorized access after receiving information from an outside organization and conducting an internal investigation, but declined to name the organization and that the investigation was ongoing.
Japanese media reported on Wednesday that the cyberattack occurred over the summer and that police were aware of the attack and notified the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) this fall.