Russian cyber actors are targeting organizations involved in coronavirus vaccine development, according to a new warning by US, UK and Canadian security officials on Thursday that details activity by a Russian hacking group called APT29, which also goes by the name “the Dukes” or “Cozy Bear.”
Cozy Bear is one of two hacking groups linked to Russian intelligence that is believed to have accessed the Democratic National Committee’s internal systems in the lead-up to the 2016 US election, but Thursday’s announcement is the first time this group has been named in connection to cyberattacks related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest advisory comes as the number of coronavirus cases in the US continues to surge while researchers race to develop a vaccine.
The US, UK and Canadian authorities have issued several warnings about state-backed cyberattacks against organizations involved in the coronavirus response in recent months.
In April, CNN also reported on a growing wave of cyberattacks on US government agencies and medical institutions leading the pandemic response by nation states and criminal groups.
Hospitals, research laboratories, health care providers and pharmaceutical companies have all been hit, officials said at the time.
The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — has also been struck by a surge of daily strikes, an official with direct knowledge of the attacks previously told CNN, adding that Russia and China were the primary culprits.
