A Cyber Intelligence “World War” Is Brewing Over the COVID-19 Vaccine

According to several foreign media reports, security officials in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada claimed on Thursday that Russian cyber hackers are targeting organizations involved in the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

The news was first announced in a press release by the National Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC) of the United Kingdom. In this announcement, the United Kingdom detailed the activities of the cyber threat organization called APT29, which believed that the organization manipulated and used the global Vaccine research and development institutions within the scope. The author has heard multiple reports of this incident in the BBC and VOA podcasts in the past two days.

NCSC stated that they are more than 95% certain that APT29 is part of the Russian Intelligence Agency. According to the NCSC’s assessment, this intelligence activity is most likely to collect information on COVID-19 vaccine research or research on the COVID-19 virus itself, which is 80% to 90%. NCSC claimed that “APT29’s malicious activities are still ongoing, mainly targeting government, diplomacy, think tanks, healthcare and energy targets in order to steal valuable intellectual property.”

The British Cyber ​​Security Center claimed that APT29 is also known as the “Duke” or “Comfort Bear” and is almost certainly operating as part of the Russian Intelligence Agency. The assessment was supported by partners from the Canadian Communications Security Agency (CSE), the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), all of which are the Five Eyes Alliance One of the country members. In addition, according to U.S. media reports, this APT129 also participated in information fraud operations in the 2016 U.S. presidential election under other names.

British Foreign Secretary Dominique Raab said in a statement: It is totally unacceptable for Russian intelligence to target those who are committed to fighting the coronavirus pandemic. While other countries are pursuing their own self-interest with reckless behavior, Britain and its allies are continuing to work hard to find a vaccine to protect global health.

Coincidentally, the US authorities have been making similar accusations against China in recent months. FBI Director Chris Ray pretended last week: “At present, China is working hard to harm American medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions to conduct necessary COVID-19 research.

At present, the official Russian news agency completely denies this. How to treat this wave of British and American Five Eyes Alliance countries’ hype about the novel coronavirus vaccine cyber espionage against Russia and also piggybacking on China, and some opinions:

Thief shouts to catch thieves

According to the earliest revelations by former CIA employees Snowden and Assange, the United States has engaged in cyber theft and surveillance at all times, even its ally, German Chancellor Merkel. Most of the Internet networks and servers are in the United States. The United States has the most powerful network infrastructure. As the first country to establish a dedicated network command, the United States has the strongest cyber attack and protection capabilities in the world. Therefore, the United Kingdom and the United States and other five-eye alliance countries The possibility of a thief shouting and catching a thief is huge.

Maintain a high degree of vigilance and strengthen network protection

China was the first to suffer from the covid epidemic, the first to develop a covid vaccine and the progress was relatively fast. It is very important and necessary to strengthen network security protection and prevent other countries from stealing the intellectual property rights and patents of China’s covid vaccine through cyber espionage.

National groups are jealous and jealous

At a time when the covid epidemic is still raging, who is the first to develop and produce a covid vaccine will definitely attract attention. Recently, news about the development of a covid vaccine in China has been in the news from time to time. It is the so-called big draw, especially in the case of the overall failure of the United Kingdom, the United States and India to control the epidemic. Any psychology and anything may happen, and prevention should be done.

After China’s covid vaccine is successfully developed, it must “do a good job” and “say it well”

Combining the previous experience and lessons of anti-epidemic international cooperation and “mask diplomacy”, how to use and distribute China’s covid vaccine after R&D and production, how to balance between domestic and international, whether foreign aid is paid, how to spread, China should do it early Plans and preparations.