Hostile states trying to steal coronavirus research

It has been revealed that hostile states are attempting to hack British universities and scientific facilities to steal research related to coronavirus.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said that the proportion of such targeted cyberattacks had increased, branding the criminal activity ‘reprehensible’. It has included criminals trying to steal vaccine development information and data.

It is understood that nations including Iran and Russia are behind the hacking attempts, while experts have said China is also a likely perpetrator. However, it is also understood that there have been no successful attacks on universities or research institutions to date, many of whom are working on coronavirus research, ranging from new diagnostic and antibody tests to experimental treatment.

A spokesperson for the NCSC said: “Any attack against efforts to combat the coronavirus crisis is utterly reprehensible. We have seen an increased proportion of cyber attacks related to coronavirus and our experts work around the clock to help organisations targeted. However, the overall level of cyber attacks from both criminals and states against the UK has remained stable during the pandemic.”

In April, Health Secretary Matt Hancock signed off a directive giving GCHQ, the intelligence service, access and oversight to the NHS IT network.