SEOUL: North Korea has attempted to steal COVID-19 vaccine technology by hacking Pfizer Inc according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.
South Korea’s Yonhap did not report when the alleged hacking took place or whether it was successful.
Last year suspected North Korean hackers tried to break into at least nine health organizations, including Johnson & Johnson, Novavax Inc, and AstraZeneca.
South Korea’s intelligence agency said it had foiled North Korean attempts to hack into South Korean companies developing coronavirus vaccines.
Digital espionage against health bodies, vaccine scientists and drugmakers has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic as state-backed hacking groups scramble to obtain the latest research and information about the outbreak.
North Korea is often accused of turning to an army of hackers to fill cash-strapped government coffers amid international sanctions that ban most international trade…