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WASHINGTON: The US Federal Bureau of Investigation. USA And cybersecurity experts believe Chinese hackers are trying to steal research into the development of a coronavirus vaccine, two newspapers reported Monday.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are planning to issue a warning about Chinese hacking as governments and private companies compete to develop a vaccine for Covid-19, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported.
Hackers are also targeting information and intellectual property about treatments and tests for Covid-19.
US officials alleged that the hackers are linked to the Chinese government, according to reports.
The official warning could arrive in a few days.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian rejected the accusation, saying China strongly opposes all cyber attacks.
“We are world leaders in Covid-19 treatment and vaccine research. It is immoral to attack China with rumors and slander in the absence of evidence, “said Zhao.
The warning would add to a series of alerts and reports accusing government-backed hackers in Iran, North Korea, Russia and China of malicious activities related to the pandemic, from sending false news to attacking workers and scientists.
The New York Times said it could be a prelude to counterattacks officially sanctioned by US agencies involved in cyber warfare, including the Pentagon Cyber Command and the National Security Agency.
Last week, in a joint message, Britain and the United States warned of an increase in cyber attacks on health professionals involved in the coronavirus response by organized criminals “often linked to other state actors.”
Britain’s National Cyber Security Center and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. USA They said they had detected large-scale “password-cracking” tactics (hackers trying to access accounts through commonly used passwords) targeting health agencies and medical research organizations.
