North Korean, Russian hackers target Covid-19 vaccine researchers in US, India

Name: Pfizer coronavirus vaccine more than 90 per cent effective, US drug maker says
Uploaded: 2020-11-13T14:47:04.000Z
Duration: 2 min 30 s
Description: Pfizer coronavirus vaccine more than 90 per cent effective, US drug maker says

Microsoft said state-backed hackers have targeted more than half a dozen organisations involved in Covid-19 treatment and vaccine research around the globe

The allegations of cyber espionage come as world powers are jockeying behind the scenes in the race to produce a vaccine for the virus

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Microsoft said Russian and North Korean hackers have tried to steal valuable data from Covid-19 vaccine researchers. Photo: AP

Reuters

Published: 10:47pm, 13 Nov 2020Updated: 10:46pm, 13 Nov 2020

Hackers working for the Russian and North Korean governments have targeted more than half a dozen organisations involved in Covid-19 treatment and vaccine research around the globe, Microsoft said on Friday.

The software company said a Russian hacking group commonly nicknamed “Fancy Bear” – along with a pair of North Korean actors dubbed “Zinc” and “Cerium” by Microsoft – were implicated in recent attempts to break into the networks of seven pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in Canada, France, India, South Korea, and the US.

Microsoft said most the targets were organisations that were in the process of testing Covid-19 vaccines. Most of the break-in attempts failed but an unspecified number succeeded, it added.

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Pfizer coronavirus vaccine more than 90 per cent effective, US drug maker says

Few other details were provided by Microsoft. It declined to name the targeted organisations, say which ones had been hit by which actor, or provide a precise timeline or description of the attempted intrusions.

The Russian embassy in Washington – which has repeatedly disputed allegations of Russian involvement in digital espionage – said in an email that there was “nothing that we can add” to their previous denials.

North Korea’s representative to the United Nations did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Pyongyang has previously denied carrying out hacking abroad.

The allegations of cyber espionage come as world powers are jockeying behind the scenes in the race to produce a vaccine for the virus.