U.S. says that Chinese Hackers are trying to Steal Critical Information on Coronavirus Vaccines and Treatments

Hackers who work for the Chinese government are trying to steal critical information on coronavirus vaccines and treatment data from U.S Health care, drug and research organizations, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security on warned on Wednesday.

'China's plans to target and attack these places pose a significant danger to our nation's response to Covid-19,' the Federal Bureau of Investigation and DHS's Cyberspace Infrastructure Security Agency said in a joint statement.

'The possible theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of safe, effective, and efficient treatment options,' the agencies said.

The announcement represents an increase in US espionage and US efforts to combat cyber attacks. This comes as an attempt by President Donald Trump to blame the Chinese government for stopping the global spread of coronavirus, which killed more than 80,000 people in the US and devastated the economy.

The alert did not clarify whether the alleged goal of Chinese hackers was simply to steal data on coronavirus treatment in development or to interfere with American efforts to create a vaccine by disrupting or disabling computer networks. The alert also did not say if a hacking attack was successful.

China's foreign ministry said it "strongly opposes such deplorable actions" in response to a question about the report at Thursday's news briefing in Beijing.

'China is a staunch champion of cybersecurity and a major victim of cyber attacks,' Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters. 'Spreading rumors, smearing, and scapegoating, will do nothing to stop or end the pandemic.'

Race to Develop Vaccine

Countries and companies are rushing to develop vaccines and treatments for Covid-19, a disease caused by a coronavirus. Those who succeed have tremendous economic and political benefits.

'China has long been involved in the theft of biomedical research, and the Covid-19 research is the medical field holy grail right now,' said John Demers, head of the Justice Department's National Security Division.

'The geopolitical importance of being the first to develop a cure or vaccine means that the Chinese will try to use every tool both cyber intrusion and insider to achieve it,' Demers said in a statement. The Justice Department may file criminal charges against Chinese hackers for attacking the research of the virus.

Wednesday's alert states that the FBI is investigating the targeting and settlement of US organizations conducting research related to Kovid-19 by cyber actors and non-traditional collectors associated with the PRC, referring to the 'People's Republic of China'  'These individuals  have been caught attempting to get accesses to  and illegally obtain valuable intellectual property (IP) and public medical data related to vaccines, treatment and testing from networks and personnel involved with research related to Covid-19.'

The agencies said that additional technical details on the threat would be released in the coming days.

Opposite Side of the Story

The recent activity has been partly inspired by China's desire to create an alternative narrative about coronaviruses in which they are international good people in the battle for viruses, said James Lewis, senior vice president, and director of the Technology Policy Program Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Lewis said that in China's desired narrative, the country would develop a vaccine, which would allow President Xi Jinping to demonstrate that China had 'pulled ahead of the U.S. and could safely be a world leader'.

American and U.K. Jointly announced this month that the two countries were investigating hacking incidents against pharmaceutical companies, medical groups, and universities involved in research related to coronavirus. He did not attribute the incidents to the specific country.

For decades, the US has accused China of macroeconomic espionage and theft of intellectual property, including spying on pharmaceutical companies. This incited the 2015 agreement between the US and China to prohibit such theft for economic gain, which the Trump administration has blamed China for abusing. China has denied that it takes part in such practices.

Beyond the accusations of hacking, officials of the State Department and Justice Department have accused China of spreading disinformation about the epidemic in order to pursue its strategic goals.