Gemini Observatory will be forced to stop the system due to cyber attack, there is a possibility that there will be a big delay in astronomy research

It has become clear that the Gemini Observatory, which has telescopes in Hawaii and Chile, has been shut down due to cyber attacks since August 1, 2023. The US National Institute of Optical and Infrared Astronomy (NOIRLab) has not disclosed the details of the attack, and experts have pointed out that ``the attacker may not be aware that he has attacked the observatory.'' .

Cyber Incident at NSF's NOIRLab | NOIRLab
https://noirlab.edu/public/announcements/ann23022/

Cyberattack shutters major NSF-funded telescopes for more than 2 weeks | Science | AAAS
https://www.science.org/content/article/cyberattack-shutters-major-nsf-funded-telescopes-more-2-weeks

The Gemini Observatory consists of the 'Gemini North Telescope' in Hawaii and the 'Gemini South Telescope' in Chile. According to information released by NOIRLab, a cyber attack targeting the Gemini Observatory was detected on the morning of August 1, 2023, and astronomical observations being carried out at the Gemini North Telescope were canceled. After the attack was detected, the Gemini Observatory shut down its systems and the Gemini North Telescope was returned to a 'zenith-facing safe position.' Also, the Gemini South Telescope was in a planned outage when it detected the cyberattack.

In addition, on August 9, 2023, Chile's Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory was also cut off from the network as a ``precautionary measure to resist attacks.'' This makes remote monitoring of ' Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope ' and ' SOAR Telescope ' impossible. Although NOIRLab reports that ``the attack on the observatory has been prevented,'' it has indicated its intention to continue stopping the observatory's system until a recovery plan is formulated, and each observatory has not restarted at the time of writing the article. not.

According to the scientific journal Science, NOIRLab did not even inform employees of the details of the attack. NOIRLab also did not respond to Science's question, 'Was the attack caused by ransomware?', and the details of the attack are shrouded in mystery.

Many astronomical observations, which are necessary for astronomical research, aim for rare opportunities such as 'events that occur once a year.' For this reason, even a few days of the Gemini Observatory being out of service can be a huge loss for astronomy. ``If the observatory outage is prolonged, many astronomy communities will be devastated,'' said Lewis Wellbanks, an astronomy researcher at Arizona State University.

Since NOIRLab has not disclosed the details of the attack, the attacker's purpose has not been clarified at the time of writing the article. ``It is very likely that the attacker is unaware that he has attacked the observatory,'' said von Felch, a former security officer at the National Science Foundation.