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The COVID-19 vaccine has waged a veritable war in the spy world, with both China and Russia intensifying their efforts to steal American secrets. The intelligence services have spied on both research institutes and pharmaceutical companies, writes The New York Times.
The Chinese spy pirates wanted to steal data on the vaccine and considered moving towards what they considered an easy target. Instead of hacking into pharmaceutical companies, they searched the networks of the University of North Carolina and other educational institutions involved in research programs.
But they weren’t the only spies in action. Russia’s main intelligence service, SVR, had targeted investigative networks in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom that were involved in obtaining a vaccine. They were discovered by the British, who were monitoring international fiber optic cables.
Iran has also not been on the sidelines throughout this history. Tehran, in turn, has stepped up its efforts to steal information on vaccine research.
Meanwhile, the United States put its counterintelligence to work and strengthened its defense of secrets.
Crazy race. “A great new spy vs spy game”
In short, all of the world’s leading intelligence services are trying to find out what information competitors have, he writes. The New York Times, which cites former and current officials in the field of intelligence services, as well as other sources who are familiar with the activity in this field. “It’s a great new spy spy game,” involving major intelligence agencies and developing at an unprecedented rate these days, the publication writes.
NATO espionageNormally focused on the movements of Russian tanks and terrorist cells, it has now expanded its reach and is monitoring, in turn, the Kremlin’s efforts to steal the secrets of vaccine research.
This crazy race in the world of spies is reminiscent of the space competition in which the Soviet Union and the United States once participated. But if there was later espionage over the years, now it is a fight against time in the race to find a cure for the coronavirus. Information on vaccines would be financially valuable and geopolitically invaluable, according to a senior Justice Department official.
How China spied
In the case of China, the efforts are complex. Its agents stole WHO information and later hacked relevant computer networks in the United States and Europe. The WHO collects data on the vaccines being developed and Chinese spies are said to have discovered which ones are the most promising. US intelligence has reportedly learned of China’s movements since February, when the CIA and other agencies monitored how the Chinese tried to infiltrate international agencies, including the WHO. The conclusions reached by the US espionage would have contributed to the harsh attitude adopted by the White House in May against the WHO.
In addition to hacking into the computer networks of American universities, China is also trying to take advantage of the research partnerships that American universities have with peer institutions in China. Therefore, Chinese agents are trying to obtain information directly from the investigators.
As for the US companies targeted, they are Gilead Sciences, Novavax and Moderna, but officials believe there have been no major security breaches.
The Russians, in turn, allegedly targeted Britain in spying on the University of Oxford and its pharmaceutical partner, AstraZeneca.
Editor: Luana Păvălucă
