The United States (US), United Kingdom (UK) and Canada are engaged in serious bickering with Russia over allegations Moscow is engaged in theft of COVID-19 vaccines being developed in laboratories in Oxford and America.
Hackers linked to Russian intelligence services, CNBC report read, are trying to steal information about coronavirus vaccine research in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
Quoting security officials, the report claimed that a group known as APT29 — also known as “Cozy Bear” — was likely to blame for the attack.
They said the group, which is believed to be associated with Russian intelligence, used spear phishing and custom malware to target vaccine researchers.
The U.S. Department for Homeland Security, the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Security Agency, Canada’s Communications Security Establishment and the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre joined forces in accusing Russia of the hacking campaign.
“It is completely unacceptable that the Russian Intelligence Services are targeting those working to combat the coronavirus pandemic,” U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement. “While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behaviour, the U.K. and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health.”
“We condemn these despicable attacks against those doing vital work to combat the coronavirus pandemic,” said Paul Chichester, director of operations for the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre, or NCSC. “Working with our allies, the NCSC is committed to protecting our most critical assets and our top priority at this time is to protect the health sector.”
“We would urge organisations to familiarise themselves with the advice we have published to help defend their networks.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the allegations Thursday, according to the state-owned TASS news agency. Peskov said that Russia had nothing to do with alleged cyberattacks on pharmaceutical firms and research institutions, adding that the claims were not backed by proper evidence.
Russia Military insists on safe vaccine development
The Russian defence ministry says the COVID-19 vaccine it developed is “safe” following clinical trials on a group of volunteers.
The ministry said on Wednesday that 18 people participated in the research and were discharged without “serious adverse events, health complaints, complications or side effects”.
The results of the trials “allow us to speak with confidence about the safety and good tolerability of the vaccine”, it said in a statement.
The defence ministry did not say whether the vaccine was, in fact, effective but a doctor working on the trials said the volunteers were now protected against the coronavirus.
“Their immunity is working well, antibodies are being created, they are protected against the coronavirus,” researcher Svetlana Volchikhina said in a video released by the defence ministry.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during the height of the epidemic in Russia in late May that military researchers were developing a vaccine with scientists at the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow.
