Britain claims Russia is trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine data

Muhammad Usman

16th Jul, 2020. 08:34 pm
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The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) in Britain said on Thursday that Russian-backed hackers are trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world.

A joint statement from Britain, the U.S., and Canada attributed the attacks to group APT29, also known as ‘Cozy Bear,’ which they said was working almost certainly as part of Russian intelligence.

NCSC Director of Operations Paul Chichester said,

“We condemn these despicable attacks against those doing vital work to combat the coronavirus pandemic.”

British foreign minister Dominic Raab said,

“While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behavior, the UK and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health.”

The NCSC said the attacks on the group were ongoing and they used a variety of tools and techniques, including spear-phishing and custom malware.