Hackers from Russia, North Korea targeted COVID-19 vaccine: Microsoft

A report by Microsoft revealed that hackers for the Russian and North Korean governments have targeted more than half a dozen of organisations involved in the COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research from around the globe.

In this report by Microsoft, the tech giant stated that a Russian hacking group, known as 'Fancy Bear', and a pair of North Korean actors called "Zinc" and "Cerium", by Microsoft, were implicated as they tried to break into the networks of nearly seven pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in fice countries, namely, Canada, France, India, South Korea, and the United States.

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While the majority of the break-in attempts failed, a few unspecified numbers of attempts succeeded. Majority of these attacks were aimed at medical organisations that were involved in the process of testing the COVID-19 vaccine. However, Microsoft has declined to publically identify the companies that were targetted by Rusian and North Korean hackers. The software company has also refused to provide a timeline of these attacks.

The Russian embassy in Washington, however, has declined all such accusations in the past. This time, too, the officials said there was "nothing that we can add" to the previous statements of denials.

This report came as several countries in the world are competing to produce and distribute the first COVID-19 vaccine to the world, as a lot of countries have now stepped into the second wave of coronavirus.

Microsoft also urged that a new set of global rules and regulations barring digital intrusions aimed at healthcare providers should be set up.

Microsoft executive Tom Burt said in a statement his company was timing its announcement with Microsoft President Brad Smith's appearance at the virtual Paris Peace Forum, where he would call on world leaders "to affirm that international law protects health care facilities and to take action to enforce the law."