NASA Employees Duped in Chinese Phishing Scheme Targeting U.S. Defense Software
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has disclosed how a Chinese national used spear-phishing to obtain sensitive information from the space agency, government agencies, academic institutions, and private businesses in violation of export control laws by pretending to be a U.S. researcher.
The OIG said in a release on Thursday that for years, NASA staff members and research partners believed they were only exchanging software with coworkers. Rather, they were sending confidential defense information via email to a Chinese national posing as American engineers.
In September 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced charges against Song Wu, a Chinese national connected to the campaign, for masterminding a multi-year...