North Korea has been accused of attempting to steal information on coronavirus vaccines and treatments. In light of this, please see the comment below from cybersecurity experts on why it is vital for organizations to look at their business through the eyes of nation-state bad actors to prevent future attacks.
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<p>Nation state hacking is nothing new, and is something <a href=\"https://www.f-secure.com/gb-en/consulting/our-thinking/understanding-the-cyber-threat-from-north-korea\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.f-secure.com/gb-en/consulting/our-thinking/understanding-the-cyber-threat-from-north-korea&source=gmail&ust=1613643919773000&usg=AFQjCNHqTP7Y7heL9pOzO6BIN3uyZUDcWw\"> North Korea has a history of;</a> in the past few years alone, North Korea has been held responsible for a number of cyber-attacks causing disruption and financial losses on an unprecedented scale.</p> <p> </p> <p>We have to remember that North Korea is not a normal country. No other country in recent history has resorted to printing fake U.S. dollars. No other country deploys ransomware to blackmail bitcoins from their victims. No other country hacks international banking networks in order to steal money. In that line of thinking, it wouldn\’t be surprising for them to try to hack vaccine data either.</p>
<p>With coronavirus vaccines being rolled out worldwide, there should be a collective sigh of relief among all countries. However, over the last year there has been an evident increase in state actors using cyber attacks for nation state and geopolitical gain, as seen with North Korea attempting to steal vaccine technology from US pharmaceutical company Pfizer. <br /><br /></p> <p>Cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors, by their very nature, are opportunistic. With healthcare, pharmaceutical, and research sectors working on COVID-19 response now being prime targets, all organisations need to take the necessary steps to protect their systems. Likewise, large scale geopolitical events are also potential targets – such as the Tokyo Olympics and Euro 2020 – so it’s wise for all businesses to be on their guard. <br /><br />Organisations must now look at their businesses through the eyes of nation-state bad actors and see where they fit into the larger picture. This means assessing weaknesses in cybersecurity and addressing them immediately — specifically, through a prioritised view of old and unpatched weaknesses. A more organised, combined approach among organisations will be key to guaranteeing collective security – one that pools together the resources and knowledge we have at our fingertips to assess the current threat environment.”</p>