Nonprofit that tracks meteors taken down by "critical blow" from a cyberattack
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The International Meteor Organization, a nonprofit dedicated to coordinating meteor observations, has suffered a significant cyberattack that severely damaged its aging infrastructure. The group announced that much of its website is currently offline and expects several weeks of partial downtime while transitioning to new services. During this period, the organization is prioritizing fireball reporting through alternative channels and providing updates on Facebook. Founded in 1988, the IMO maintains essential databases of meteor data and publishes the bimonthly WGN journal, which are highly valued by the astronomical community. While it remains unclear why this specific organization was targeted or if data theft was the motive, experts note that attacks on space-related entities are relatively rare compared to other industries. Previous incidents involving space organizations include hacks on NASA systems and the National Science Foundation’s Noirlab facility. Unlike some recent ransomware cases, no group has claimed responsibility for this attack or demanded payment.
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