Russian and North Korean Hackers Attack COVID-19 Vaccine Developers

Hacker groups from Russia and North Korea have repeatedly carried out cyberattacks on pharmaceutical companies that develop coronavirus vaccines in recent months. Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt reported this.

According to him, the attackers tried to gain access to the information of pharmaceutical companies and accounts of vaccine researchers in Canada, France, India, South Korea and the United States.

Members of the Strontium group (also known as Fancy Bear and APT28), connected to the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, used a complete password reset method, and the North Korea hackers sent phishing emails.

Microsoft stressed that the majority of the attacks were repulsed successfully. All the companies were informed about the threat. The aid for the victims of successful cybercriminals’ actions was suggested.

At present, the names of the attacked companies have not been disclosed. But it is specified that one of the victims is an organisation that conducts clinical trials and participates in vaccine trials, and another is the developer of the test for COVID-19. Many of these organisations have signed contracts with government agencies to supply the vaccine.

Microsoft’s publication of this information was timed to coincide with the Third Paris Peace Forum, which is currently discussing recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Bohdan Marusyak