Russian Hackers Attack COVID-19 Vaccine Research, Try To Steal Secrets
Russia has officially denied the reports, rubbishing any such links to alleged hacking attempts.
According to several reports, COVID-19 vaccine development, arguably the most valued research being conducted right now, has been targeted by Russian hackers.
Several US, UK and Canadian security agencies have blamed the recent cyber attack on trying to steal sensitive COVID-19 vaccine research on Russian spies.
AFP / Reuters
According to reports, organisations in the UK, US and Canada have reportedly been a victim of a targeted attack on COVID-19 vaccine research. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has said the hackers "almost certainly" were a "part of Russian intelligence services".
The agency did not specify names of the organisations targeted, or whether any COVID-19 vaccine research information had been stolen. It did, however, confirm that the vaccine research has not been hindered by the attack.
Russian spies attacking COVID-19 vaccine research
Representative Image
The NCSC has blamed the cyber attacks on a hacking group called APT29, a.k.a The Dukes or Cozy Bear. The security agency said that it is ¡°more than 95% certain that the group is part of the Russian intelligence services,¡± highlights according to a report from The Verge.
The infamous Russian hacking group with ties to Russian spy network has been accused of such cyber attacks in the past. It was previously implicated to have hacked the US Democratic National Committee (DNC) during the US Presidential election in 2016.
The recent report accusing the group of the attack has been published jointly by several security services, including the UK's NCSC, the Canadian Communication Security Establishment (CSE) and has been agreed upon by the the US National Security Agency (NSA) as well as the United States¡¯ Department of Homeland Security¡¯s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS CISA).
The COVID-19 vaccine research stealing accusation is different from anything seen in the past, as such blames are usually specific in nature. That is why terms like ¡°state backed hackers¡± are much more prominent. This time though, the NCSC report calls out the cyber espionage group as ¡°almost certainly part of the Russian intelligence services.¡±
(Representative Image: Reuters)
"Throughout 2020, APT29 has targeted various organisations involved in Covid-19 vaccine development in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, highly likely with the intention of stealing information and intellectual property relating to the development and testing of COVID-19 vaccines," the report further said.
Russia denies involvement
Russia has denied any role in the cyber attacks, which comes as no surprise. Just earlier this week, Russia announced successful completion of phase I human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, while not providing any medical information about the vaccine's chemical ingredients.
As per Tass news agency, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for President Putin, said "We do not have information about who may have hacked into pharmaceutical companies and research centres in Great Britain. We can say one thing - Russia has nothing at all to do with these attempts."
How the alleged Russian cyber attack happened
In the report, the security agencies highlighted that the hackers exploited software flaws in vulnerable computer systems to gain access to critical research data. In addition, the hackers used malware called WellMess and WellMail to upload and download files from the infected machines.
Further extending the attempt, the hackers also conducted spear-phishing attacks through emails sent to individuals, in an attempt to gain login credentials directly through them.
(Representative Image: Reuters)
The report also highlights recommendations to help organisations protect themselves from such cyber-attacks in the future.
These are not the first of their kind cyber attacks on COVID-19 research. Similar attacks have previously been blamed on hackers from China by the US. As long as the vaccine holds its importance in the COVID-19 stricken world, such notorious attacks can be expected on organisations involved in making the vaccines.
