Hackers linked to the Chinese government are trying to steal coronavirus-related research on vaccines, treatments, and testing, the FBI and a U.S. cybersecurity agency warned Wednesday, CNBC reports.
The FBI, in a joint statement with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said it is investigating “the targeting and compromise of U.S. organizations conducting COVID-19-related research by [People’s Republic of China]-affiliated cyber actors and non-traditional collectors.”
The hackers have been caught attempting to “identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property” and public-health data related to coronavirus research, according to the statement.
“The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options,” the statement read.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, is a division of the Homeland Security Department.
The federal agencies urged all U.S. organizations researching the virus to beef up their cybersecurity practices to “prevent surreptitious review or theft of COVID-19-related material.”
