Ibm alarm: anti Covid vaccines in the sights of hackers. The expert: “Maybe China, Russia and North Korea are behind the attacks”

We lacked the hackers, the bad ones (there are also the good ones). According to IBM, some groups of cyber criminals are targeting the companies involved in the distribution of vaccines for Covid-19, and could therefore prepare to strike the cold chain necessary to get the doses. In launching the alarm, IBM signals how hackers are gathering information on all logistical aspects. The espionage activity, adds IBM, is conducted through ‘a global phishing campaign’ where emails are sent on behalf of company executives Haier Biomedical, a Chinese company specializing in the transport of vaccines. Claire Zaboeva, an IBM strategic analyst, said this could be the “Tip of the iceberg” by a broader global cyber intrusion campaign. “It was still an extremely well thought out and well placed campaign. And this potentially indicates a very competent person or team, ”Zaboeva said. After the IBM alarm, the EU Commission however, he said he was aware of the attack campaign and had taken “necessary measures” to mitigate its effects.

Attacks have been going on for months – In reality, the sharks of the web have been sniffing the vaccine deal for some time now IT raids of various origins have been going on for months. “So far there have been a series of attacks focused on institutes that were carrying out research and development of the medicine, Alberto Pelliccione explains to fattoquotidiano.it, CEO of the cybersecurity company ReaQta. “It is suspected, but certain attribution is always very difficult, that these attacks were behind them Russia, China and North Korea “Pelliccione continues, adding: “Moscow was mainly interested in knowing what they were the results of vaccines similar in structure to its Sputnik5, while Beijing to have information on different vaccines from the one developed at home. Finally the North Korea, totally dependent on China, tried to have the information to be able to develop the drug independently “

If you don’t pay I turn off the refrigerators – Now, however, the vaccine is there and therefore the attention, and the intrusions, move on the logistic chain. “We keep in mind, underlines the expert, that the world is about to complete the largest logistical effort in its history, to be clear, much larger than the landing in Normandy “. It is likely that, at this point, to the threats of state origin are added real cyber criminals acting for money. Such as? “Let’s think of the Pfizer vaccine that is stored in minus 70 degrees, Pelliccione reasons, the US multinational has only one storage site in Europe, in the Netherlands. Hackers could break into that system manages the refrigerators of the site, programming shutdown and ask for a ransom in exchange to free the system ”. What is called in jargon ransomware. Faced with the risk of losing entire supplies, states would be willing to pay a lot and quickly. However, blocking vaccine logistics remains a potential target even for attacks of government origin. “If you think about it, the first who gets vaccinated is the first who gets his economy 100% restarted“. The risks also affect freight forwarders such as Ups o Dhl that have already been victims of cyber attacks in the past. Even the Moderna vaccine, which must be anyway transferred to minus 20 degrees, it is therefore exposed to potential threats. “A third phase of attacks, concludes the number one of ReaQta, could concern health data, let us remember that two doses are needed, it will therefore be necessary to trace the progress of all the administrations, this is information that can have great value”.

@maurodelcorno

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