It probably wonβt surprise anyone that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the activities of state-backed hackers, but the US is reportedly convinced that one of the countries is conducting a massive campaign. Officials who spoke to CNN reporters say there has been a spate of cyberattacks against US government agencies and pharmaceutical firms, with US experts linking the campaign to Beijing. China is believed to be trying to steal COVID-19 research to promote its treatments or vaccinations.
While attacks have hit a range of healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies, according to CNN, the Department of Health and Human Services (which runs the CDC) has also seen a spike in attacks on a daily basis.
So far, China has not responded to the allegations, and notably, other countries have been blamed for the pandemic-related attacks. For example, in early April, Reuters claimed that Iranian hackers were trying to compromise the email accounts of employees of the World Health Organization. The American authorities voiced accusations against other countries, including Russia.
However, China is more of a concern for officials in the US. China has reportedly been actively involved in a disinformation campaign to cause havoc around COVID-19. In the past, officials have also accused Chinese hackers of hacks related to the healthcare system. Given the massive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine measures, it is possible that US accusations against China will become more frequent, adding fuel to the fire of a somewhat subsided trade war.
Source: 3dnews.ru