The European Space Agency (ESA) is facing scrutiny following a security breach that allegedly resulted in the theft of 200 gigabytes of sensitive data. A hacker group is reportedly attempting to sell this data, which includes source code and confidential documents, on the BreachForums website. The breach was confirmed earlier this week by ESA, which stated that it impacts only a limited number of external servers involved in unclassified collaborative engineering.
According to cybersecurity expert Seb Latom, the compromised files may relate to ESA's upcoming Ariel space telescope, set to launch in 2029. The agency claims the breach had minimal effects, but the potential risks to ongoing projects and the possibility of malicious use of the data raise serious concerns.
This incident is not isolated, as ESA has experienced previous security issues, including a 2024 breach that targeted customer information and a 2015 incident affecting staff data. ESA has begun a forensic security analysis to address vulnerabilities, stating that all relevant stakeholders have been notified and updates will follow as more information is gathered.