City
Epaper

Russian hackers trying to steal Covid vaccine research: Report

By IANS | Updated: July 16, 2020 21:35 IST

London, July 16 A hacking group believed to be operating as part of Russian intelligence services is targeting ...

Open in App

London, July 16 A hacking group believed to be operating as part of Russian intelligence services is targeting organisations involved in Covid-19 vaccine development, the US, British and Canadian governments said on Thursday.

The threat group, known as APT29, has exploited organisations globally, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of the UK said in an advisory.

The APT29, also named "the Dukes" or "Cozy Bear", uses a variety of tools and techniques, including spear-phishing and custom malware known as "WellMess" and "WellMail", the NCSC said.

This assessment is also supported by partners at the Canadian Communication Security Establishment (CSE), the US Department for Homeland Security (DHS), the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Security Agency (NSA).

APT29's campaign of malicious activity is ongoing, predominantly against government, diplomatic, think-tank, healthcare and energy targets to steal valuable intellectual property, the advisory said.

"It is completely unacceptable that the Russian Intelligence Services are targeting those working to combat the coronavirus pandemic," the UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, said in a statement.

"While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behaviour, the UK and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health," the statement added.

The NCSC has previously warned that APT groups have been targeting organisations involved in both national and international Covid-19 responses.

Known targets of APT29 include the UK, the US and Canadian vaccine research and development organisations, the NCSC said.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: usLondonDominic RaabNational Cyber Security CentreCSEPremier of saAdministrative capitalDominic walton
Open in App

Related Stories

CricketENG vs IND 5th Test Weather Forecast: Will Rain Play Spoilsport on Day 3 of England vs India at Oval in London? (VIDEO)

CricketENG vs IND 5th Test Weather Forecast: Will Rain Play Spoilsport on Day 2 of England vs India at Oval in London?

InternationalEarthquake in Russia: Quake of Magnitude 8.0 Strikes Kamchatka Peninsula; Tsunami Warning Issued

EntertainmentRakul Preet Singh Jets Off to London for Final Schedule of De De Pyaar De 2

InternationalNASA Layoffs: 20% or 3,870 Employees to Exit US Space Agency

Technology Realted Stories

TechnologySouth Korean President Lee calls for measures to curb fake news on YouTube

TechnologyDPIIT ieam visits Bengaluru to boost IoT and Deep-Tech innovation

TechnologyIndia's smartphone exports hit record $7.72 billion in Q1FY26, Apple leads with $6 billion

TechnologyIndia’s chip market poised to scale $110 billion by 2030

TechnologyQ1 Earnings Review: Brokerages give mixed outlook, earnings downgrade ratio drops