A group known as APT29 has begun a 'campaign of malicious activity' against 'government, diplomatic, think tank, health care and energy targets to steal valuable intellectual property,' said Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre
A subject receives a shot as part of a clinical trial of a potential COVID-19 vaccine at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle on March 16, 2020.Canadian researchers have been targeted by Russian hackers in what security experts say is a continuing series of cyberattacks aimed at scientists in several countries who are developing a vaccine for COVID-19.
Hackers backed by the Russian state are trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world, Britain's National Cyber Security Centre has said.Britain Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the actions “completely unacceptable,” and added, “While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behaviour, the U.K. and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health.
“We must call out irresponsible state behaviour that violates the rules-based international order and strive to live and work in a cyberenvironment that is open, stable, peaceful and secure.” If all goes well, the researchers hope to have a vaccine ready by October, and AstraZeneca has signed a deal to produce two billion doses. “Oxford University is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure our COVID-19 research has the best possible cyber security and protection,” the university said in a statement on Thursday. The centre is a British government agency that advises the public and private sectors on threats in the digital realm.
Officials in Russia quickly rejected the allegations. “We do not have information about who may have hacked into pharmaceutical companies and research centres in Great Britain,” said Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian government. “We can say one thing – Russia has nothing at all to do with these attempts. We do not accept such accusations, just as new groundless accusations about interference in the 2019 election.
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