Nonprofit that tracks meteors taken down by "critical blow" from a cyberattack
The International Meteor Organization, a nonprofit dedicated to tracking meteor phenomena, has suffered a significant cyberattack that has taken much of its website offline. The organization expects to be largely out of commission for several weeks while it transitions to new infrastructure and services. It remains unclear why the group was targeted, as its data is mostly public and no one has claimed responsibility for the incident.
- ▪The International Meteor Organization stated that a cyberattack dealt a critical blow to its aging infrastructure, causing partial downtime for several weeks.
- ▪The organization is currently prioritizing the reporting of fireball observations and providing limited information through its Facebook page.
- ▪The IMO, founded in 1988, maintains essential databases of meteor observations and publishes the bimonthly WGN journal.
- ▪Attacks on space-related organizations are rare, though previous incidents have targeted NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array.
- ▪There are no known reports of any group or individual claiming responsibility for the attack or demanding a ransom.
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| Original publisher | Ars Technica |
| Canonical URL | https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/nonprofit-that-tracks-meteors-taken-down-by-critical-blow-from-a-cyberattack/ |
| Publication time | Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:08:14 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-16T21:23:41.490Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
WHO WOULD DO SUCH A THING? Nonprofit that tracks meteors taken down by “critical blow” from a cyberattack Group plans to be largely out of commission for several weeks. Dan Goodin – Sep 16, 2026 5:08 pm | 4 Credit: Interntional Meteor Organization Credit: Interntional Meteor Organization Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav The International Meteor Organization, the nonprofit that coordinates and publishes amateur and professional observations of meteor phenomena, said its infrastructure has suffered a “critical blow” from a cyberattack.
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