According to a joint statement released by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), government-backed hackers are attacking pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, and local governments in an attempt to steal valuable information about efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. The joint warning states that it is unclear which countries were responsible for the attacks, however, US and UK officials have indicated that the warning was a response to cyber threats pertaining to Chinese and Iranian hackers.
However, Iran, China, and Russia have all denied any instruction attempts or offensive cyber operations, claiming that they are victims of similar attacks. The statement reports that state-sponsored hacking groups are known to target organizations with the goal of collecting bulk personal information, intelligence, and intellectual property.
Read More: State-backed hackers targeting coronavirus responders, U.S. and UK warn
