Hackers target companies that keep Covid-19 vaccines safe

Hackers, most likely government sponsored, have targeted the Covid-19 vaccine “cold chain,” which is made up of companies that keep vaccines at low temperatures to remain stable and usable, according to a US government notice Thursday.

The warning came after IBM researchers uncovered phishing attacks launched by hackers pretending to be an executive at Haier, a Chinese drug cooling company that claims to be the only full-service chain supplier. cold in the world. The cold chain is vital for the storage and transport of vaccines. Pfizer vaccine, which has proven to be one of the most promising Covid-19 treatments, must be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius (-94°F) to remain effective.

Recent attacks have been launched directly against vaccine developers, but in this case the hackers have gone in search of tangentially linked entities. One of the objectives was the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union, which deals with cross-border trade and regulation. Solar energy companies have also been targeted. As IBM noted in its research, shown a Forbes prior to publication, vaccine refrigerators are often powered by solar panels in nations where traditional supplies are not reliable.

It is unclear whether one of the targeted organizations was actually violated. No company working on developing a Covid-19 vaccine has yet been successfully hacked, despite myriad attempts. Russia, China and North Korea have been linked to cyberattacks against Covid-19 vaccine developers. IBM could not determine which nation was behind the latest attacks, but said they appeared to have been carried out by a nation state.

Phishing for a coronavirus vaccine

The malicious emails came with requests for quotes for participation in the Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform (CCEOP) program, set up by Gavi, Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF in 2015 to increase efficiency in the vaccine supply chain. Inside the emails was a link to an HTML file, rather than a website, which asked the recipient to enter their corporate network login credentials, which would then be passed on to hackers.

“This phishing technique helps attackers avoid setting up online phishing pages that can be discovered and removed by security research teams and law enforcement,” said Claire Zaboeva, senior cyber threat analyst at IBM Security X -Force. “Historically, we have seen sponsored adversaries opt for disruptive attacks on critical infrastructure and make no mistake that the cold chain is critical infrastructure. So nothing is out of the question. “

DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued its notice on Thursday. “CISA encourages all organizations involved in vaccine storage and transportation to harden attack surfaces, particularly in cold storage operations, and to remain vigilant against all activity in this space. This means following the warnings and guidance of CISA and other security entities, having contingency plans in place and contacting CISA for further support, “said Josh Corman, CISA’s chief strategist for health care. participating in Operation Warp Speed, the US program to accelerate the release of Covid-19 vaccines, have been warned by CISA to be alert to the attacks discovered by IBM.

A spokesperson for Gavi added: “Gavi has effective policies and processes to prevent such phishing attacks and hacking attempts. We are working closely with our partners on security awareness to continue strengthening these best practices. “

It’s not just nation states looking for Covid-19 drugs. Earlier this week, Interpol warned that organized criminals could also try to steal or cut off vaccine supplies.

The attacks have not slowed the pace of Covid-19 vaccine production, however, as the UK announced this week that it would launch Pfizer vaccines this month.