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The United States accused China of unleashing its hackers against US research organizations and pharmaceutical companies working on Covid-19 vaccines and treatments.
“These actors have been observed attempting to unlawfully identify and obtain valuable intellectual property (IP) and public health data related to vaccines, treatment and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19 related research,” the FBI and the Cyber Security and the Department of Homeland Security’s Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in a rare joint alert issued Wednesday.
“China’s efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to our nation’s response to COVID-19,” he added, identifying the health, pharmaceutical and research sectors as at risk. The alert also did not identify target organizations or describe how the hacking was discovered.
These accusations will further increase tensions between the two countries over the Covid-19 pandemic. The United States accused China of failing to alert the world early enough to the epidemic, which started in Wuhan last December, and of not being transparent about its onset and the exact magnitude of infections and deaths.
News reports suggested that some Trump administration officials were inclined to view this attempt as a threat to national security, as they may even have hampered the ongoing investigation. No evidence was cited once again.
CISA had issued a joint alert in conjunction with the UK National Security Agency in April warning of advanced persistent threat groups (APT) from target organizations involved in the local and international response to Covid-19.
They had not identified China or any other entity, but health agencies, pharmaceutical companies, academia, medical research organizations and local governments said.
“APT actors frequently target organizations to collect personal information, intellectual property and intelligence in bulk that aligns with national priorities,” he added.
The United States has long accused Chinese hackers of attacking companies, research institutions and universities, and the theft of intellectual property has been a persistent source of tension between the two countries.
US officials also accused Iran of carrying out similar cyber attacks, although the alert did not name it. It has generated enthusiasm worldwide. struck by a virus that has continued to defy cure or prevention.
More than 90 separate efforts were made in the United States to find a vaccine. The Trump administration has launched an ambitious Manhattan Project-style effort called “Operation Warp Speed” to accelerate the search for the vaccine in a public-private partnership. He reportedly narrowed the search from an estimate of 93 to 14, with plans to narrow it further to seven, and then to 3 or four for final clinical trials in January.
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