--- title: "Microsoft Claims Russia and North Korea Hacked COVID Vaccine Data" description: "Microsoft said that it has “detected cyberattacks from three nation-state actors targeting seven prominent companies directly involved in researching vaccines and treatments for COVID-19,” according to a blog post. The attacks stem from actors originating from both Russia and North Korea. Russian hackers reportedly used “password spray and brute force login attempts to steal login […]" date: "2020-11-13" modified: "2020-11-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/microsoft-claims-russia-north-korea-hacked-vaccine-data" categories: - "Cybersecurity" - "Data Privacy" - "Future Society" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "microsoft" - "north korea" - "Russia" - "the digest" - "vaccine" --- # Microsoft Claims Russia and North Korea Hacked COVID Vaccine Data ![Microsoft claims Russian and North Korean hackers are trying to get a hold of COVID-19 vaccine data using brute force attacks and phishing lures.]() *\Image: Retha Ferguson/Victor Tangermann\* ## Vaccine Hacks Microsoft said that it has "detected cyberattacks from three nation-state actors targeting seven prominent companies directly involved in researching vaccines and treatments for COVID-19," according to a [blog post]() by the software giant. The hackers originate from Russia and North Korea. "The targets include leading pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in Canada, France, India, South Korea and the United States," the blog post reads. Russian hackers reportedly used "password spray and brute force login attempts to steal login credentials," according to the statement, while North Korean hackers used "spear-phishing lures for credential theft, sending messages with fabricated job descriptions pretending to be recruiters." Microsoft claims that security tools baked into its products helped ward off "the majority of these attacks." ## Join the Club Russia and North Korea would be joining a growing list of countries that are reportedly involved in attempts to get hold of biomedical research about the pandemic. In May, US officials [told *The Wall Street Journal*]() that Chinese and Iranian hackers [were targeting]() US efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine. In July, Department of Justice [charged]() two Chinese nationals with hacking computer systems to steal information about COVID vaccines on behalf of the Chinese government. The UK National Cyber Security Centre [also accused]() the Kremlin of targeting coronavirus vaccine development in July. Russia [promptly rejected]() the charges. Microsoft's president Brad Smith will speak at today's virtual Paris Peace Form to discuss these issues with representatives from countries that may be affected by the hacks originating from Russia and North Korea. **READ MORE:** [Microsoft: Russian, North Korean hackers target vaccine work]() \[*Associated Press*\] **More on vaccine hacks:** *[State-Backed Russian Hackers Are Targeting Coronavirus Vaccine Research]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()