Britain Accuses Russia Of Hacking Covid-19 Vaccine Data Around The World

Illustration (Unsplash / Blake Connally)

JAKARTA - The British National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC) reports that there have been hacking attempts by Russian intelligence to steal data on the development of the COVID-19 vaccine around the world. The British accusation of hacking by the country of red bears is not the first time this has happened.

According to a coordinated statement from Britain, the United States (US) and Canada quoted by Reuters today, the hack was linked to the group APT29. Also known as the Cozy Bear, they are almost certainly affiliated with Russian intelligence.

"We condemn this despicable attack against those who are doing vital work to combat the COVID-19 pandemic," said NCSC Operations Director Paul Chichester. NCSN researchers said the APT29 dropper had been used in the US, Japan, China and Africa in the past year.

In addition to the hacking of COVID-19 data, the UK also accused Russia of trying to interfere in the 2019 Election by trying to spread propaganda documents via the internet. British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said the action allegedly carried out by Russian intelligence was completely unacceptable.

"While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behavior, Britain and its allies continue to work hard to find a vaccine and protect global health," Raab said in a statement. Raab added that Britain would work with allies to hold the perpetrators accountable.

From last year

The attack by the hacker group that is thought to have come from Russia has been detected in the past year. This was disclosed by the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Cyber War Command.

The US agency also detailed the hacking tools used by Russian hackers. They mentioned the names of passwords related to hacking tools such as WELLMAIL, SOREFANG and WELLMESS.

As is known, in some cases, WELLMESS was found in US pharmaceutical companies. This tool allows hackers to secretly gain remote access to computers. The private sector refused to mention the names of the victims who were hacked.

The UK and US made statements in May that the hacker network was targeting national and international organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, however, such attacks were not explicitly affiliated with Russia.

Meanwhile, through a written statement, NCSC explained, the group's attacks continued using various tools and techniques, including phishing and special malware. "APT29 will likely continue to target organizations involved in research and development of the COVID-19 vaccine, as they seek to answer additional intelligence questions relating to the pandemic," it wrote.

But as reported by the Russian news agency RIA, Russian Presidential Spokesman, Dmitry Peskov rejected the accusation. Peskov said the accusation had no solid evidence. Meanwhile the Russian Foreign Ministry said the allegations were "gray and contradictory."