Hackers Attempt to Steal Covid-19 Vaccine Secrets

Hackers from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea tried to steal coronavirus vaccine secrets in what security experts describe as an intellectual property war, The Guardian reported on Sunday. According to the report, the hackers’ primary intention was to steal the secrets behind the design of a vaccine, with hundreds of drug companies, research labs and health organisations from around the world targeted at any one time.

On other hand, the senior vice-president at the IT security Crowdstrike Adam Meyers, explained that countries including Russia and China had been engaged in hacking western companies and agencies “for the past 20 years, but since March become focused on Covid-19 researches.

Moreover, Earlier this month, a report by Microsoft revealed that hackers for the Russian and North Korean governments have targeted more than half a dozen of organisations involved in the COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research from around the globe.

Microsoft's report noted that, a Russian hacking group, known as 'Fancy Bear', and a pair of North Korean actors called "Zinc" and "Cerium", as they tried to break into the networks of nearly seven pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in fice countries, namely, Canada, France, India, South Korea, and the United States.

However, western governments remain reluctant to point the finger of blame in all cases of hacking attacks for fear of diplomatic repercussions, with the UK, for example, particularly cautious about accusing China.