"North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran Government-Supported Hackers Compete to Obtain COVID-19 Vaccine Information"

IT Expert: "Hacking Topics Focused on COVID-19 Since March"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Hackers supported by the governments of North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran have launched operations to obtain clinical trial results and mass production information related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines, the daily newspaper The Guardian reported on the 22nd (local time).

According to the report, Adam Myers, Senior Vice President of IT Security at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, stated that China, Russia, and others have attempted to hack Western companies and institutions over the past 20 years, but since March, their focus has shifted to COVID-19. He said, "What you are seeing is the latest phase of a long-standing intellectual property war," adding, "Who develops the vaccine first has become a matter of national pride."

Although the countries involved deny any connection, public and private security experts claim that the hackers are linked to spies or government defense agencies. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre revealed that this year, a hacker group called 'Cozy Bear,' associated with the Russian intelligence agency Federal Security Service (FSB), attacked vaccine research institutes in the UK, the US, and Canada. These organizations stated, "We are working hard to protect our highly critical assets."

Recently, Microsoft (MS) also disclosed that three hacker groups, including North Korean hacker groups 'Lazarus' and 'Cerium,' as well as a Russian government-supported hacker group, attacked seven vaccine-related companies and research institutes. According to MS, North Korean hackers used spear-phishing tactics by sending emails containing malware targeting specific individuals to steal information.

However, The Guardian reported that there is no evidence that hackers have demanded money or leaked information to the black market in relation to COVID-19 vaccines. Martin McKee, a professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said, "A significant amount of COVID-19 vaccine-related information is already publicly available, so it is puzzling why anyone would try to steal secrets," adding, "It seems some countries value their hacking capabilities and are just trying to use them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.