Ethical Hacking News
NASA has taken a firm stance on national security by banning Chinese nationals from accessing its facilities, networks, and even video conferencing platforms. The move comes amid growing concerns over industrial espionage and China's increasing presence in space exploration.
NASA has barred Chinese nationals from accessing its facilities, networks, and even Zoom calls due to a lengthy industrial espionage campaign. The decision comes after a dual Chinese/American citizen, Chenguang Gong, admitted to downloading sensitive information on sensors used by aircraft. The move aims to protect NASA's work given China's recruitment of spies at the US Navy and its close collaboration with the military. NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy has stated that the agency's mission is to maintain American dominance in space.
NASA's recent decision to bar Chinese nationals from accessing its facilities, networks, and even Zoom calls has sent shockwaves throughout the cybersecurity community. The space agency's internal action, which was discovered by Bloomberg, aims to ensure the security of its work in light of a lengthy industrial espionage campaign uncovered by a dual Chinese/American citizen.
In July, Chenguang Gong admitted to downloading information on sensors used by aircraft to confuse infrared-seeking missiles, as well as data on radiation-hardened cameras that the US placed in orbit to provide an early warning of incoming rockets and hypersonic vehicles. China's recruitment of spies at the US Navy has also raised concerns about the potential risks to NASA's work.
Given NASA's close collaboration with the US military, the risk of serious data loss is significant. The agency does plenty of work with the military, making it imperative that Chinese nationals are not allowed access to sensitive information. National pride is also a factor, as China and the USA are both trying to land astronauts on the moon in coming years.
NASA's decision to bar Chinese nationals from its facilities and networks has been met with some skepticism, particularly from former NASA staff who have suggested that Chinese Taikonauts will put boots on regolith before US astronauts leave their mark. However, NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy has rubbished this notion, stating that the agency's mission is to maintain American dominance in space.
"Our mission is maintaining American dominance in space," he said in a video. "China wants to get there, but we're getting there first." Duffy also re-stated US policy that returning to the Moon is a precursor for future crewed missions to Mars.
US law bars NASA from collaborating with China's space program or Chinese private space companies unless the aerospace agency applies to Congress for permission. NASA did so in 2023 after it deemed the Lunar material China returned to Earth aboard its Chang'e 5 mission was too important to ignore. Chinese state media claimed that NASA's request to view the samples shows that the Middle Kingdom is now a significant space power that America cannot ignore.
The decision by NASA to bar Chinese nationals from its facilities and networks comes amid growing concerns over industrial espionage. The Pentagon has ended Microsoft's use of China-based support staff for DoD cloud, citing security risks. WhatsApp's former security boss claims that reporting infosec failings led to his ousting, while Meta shrugs off allegations of improper dismissal, ignoring privacy and security.
In other news, CISA sounds alarm over TP-Link wireless routers under attack, while Google clears up concerns over Gmail, NSA drops SBOM bomb, Texas sues PowerSchool, and more in the world of cybersecurity.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/NASA-BANS-Chinese-Nationals-from-its-Facilities-and-Networks-Amid-Growing-Concerns-over-Industrial-Espionage-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/09/11/nasa_china_ban/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/nasa-bars-chinese-citizens-from-its-facilities-networks-even-zoom-calls/ar-AA1Mk9Aw
https://www.independent.co.uk/space/nasa-china-citizen-national-ban-b2824364.html
Published: Thu Sep 11 01:26:47 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
