Authorities in the United States have issued warnings to US researchers that Chinese-backed hackers are trying to steal research and intellectual property related to the treatments and vaccines of the emerging coronavirus (Covid-19).
In a statement to the FBI and the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency, organizations conducting research on the Coruna epidemic were alerted of "likely targeting and breaches of the network by the People's Republic of China".
The statement added that "China's efforts to target these sectors constitute a major threat to America's response to Covid-19."
It is noteworthy that, contrary to the US accusations against China, online archives available to the public reviewed by "Reuters" about 4 days ago, and three researchers of Internet security revealed the involvement of "hackers" linked to Iran in targeting employees of the American company, Gilead Sciences in the past weeks. The company is seeking to launch a drug to treat Covid-19 disease, caused by infection with Coronavirus.
For its part, Iran's mission to the United Nations denied any involvement in the attacks. "The Iranian government does not engage in electronic warfare ... the electronic activities in which the Iranian government is involved are purely defensive and aim to protect against attacks on Iran's infrastructure," said mission spokesman Ali Reza Mir Yousfi.
Also, a few days ago, Britain and the United States warned that infiltrators were attacking pharmaceutical companies and research institutions working to develop drugs to treat the new disease, and the joint statement did not specify the name of any drug company that was attacked, but two informed sources said that one of the targets is Gilead, whose drug has become a remedy for the treatment. The only so far that has been shown to help patients with COFED-19.