Cyberattack sends International Meteor Organization crashing back to Earth

The International Meteor Organization (IMO) is currently experiencing a significant cyberattack that has left much of its website offline. The Belgium-based nonprofit organization, responsible for coordinating meteor observations and bringing together amateur and professional astronomers worldwide, is working to recover from the attack, which it says will take weeks to fully resolve.

In a statement, IMO described the attack as a "critical blow to aging infrastructure" that has resulted in much of its site being taken offline. The organization expects several weeks of partial downtime as it transitions to new infrastructure and services. Unfortunately, IMO has not disclosed the exact timing of the attack, how the attackers gained access, or whether any data was accessed or encrypted.

Despite the disruption, IMO has prioritized restoring its fireball reporting capabilities, which are now once again available for use. Visitors who have witnessed unusual bright meteors, or fireballs, can still submit their observations through the restored service. However, other parts of the website remain unavailable while IMO focuses on rebuilding its infrastructure.

The extent of the damage remains unclear, as IMO has not disclosed the full impact of the attack. The incident raises questions about the security of the data stored on the affected systems and whether user or contributor information may have been exposed. Attempts by The Register to contact IMO for further information have not yet yielded a response.