Security News > 2020 > December > North Korean Hackers Target COVID-19 Research
The North Korea-linked threat actor known as Lazarus was recently observed launching cyberattacks against two entities involved in COVID-19 research.
Active since at least 2009 and believed to be backed by the North Korean government, Lazarus is said to have orchestrated some high-profile attacks, including the WannaCry outbreak.
New Lazarus attacks in September and October 2020, Kaspersky reveals, targeted a Ministry of Health and a pharmaceutical company authorized to produce and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, revealing Lazarus' interest in COVID-19 research.
"These two incidents reveal Lazarus group's interest in intelligence related to COVID-19. While the group is mostly known for its financial activities, it is a good reminder that it can go after strategic research as well. We believe that all entities currently involved in activities such as vaccine research or crisis handling should be on high alert for cyberattacks," Seongsu Park, security expert at Kaspersky, said.
Microsoft reported last month that state-sponsored Russian and North Korean hackers had been trying to steal valuable data from pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers.
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