Coronavirus vaccine projects in Japan hit by cyberattacks; India’s death rate slows
- Chinese hackers are suspected of targeting Japanese research institutions working on Covid-19 vaccines
- Elsewhere, Australia’s coronavirus hotspot Victoria has eased restrictions while India’s deaths are at a three-month low
The government’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity has urged drug makers and research organisations to raise alert levels against such attempts to steal confidential information.
The US firm did not disclose the names of the targeted institutions, but said it suspects the attacks have been attempted by a Chinese hacker group based on the techniques employed. They involved sending emails attached with electronic files, which seemed to be related to the new virus but contained computer viruses, according to the company.
Scott Jarkoff, CrowdStrike’s director responsible for the Asia-Pacific region, pointed out that espionage attempts led by governments have been intensifying to achieve the goal of developing vaccines against Covid-19 ahead of other countries. Around 190 vaccine projects were in progress as of late September, some of which have entered the final stages of trials, according to World Health Organization and other data.