IBM X-Force has warned of hackers targeting organizations related to it chain storage of vaccines against COVID-19, in a major spear-phishing campaign that began in September 2020.
Organizations responsible for storing and delivering Covid-19 vaccines at the right temperature have become a target for hackers. Vaccines against the coronavirus must be stored, until administered to humans, at extremely low temperatures. To be safe they should be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius for what Pfizer made and minus 20 Celsius for the one developed by Moderna. That is why these organizations are also referred to as cold chain organizations.
In an IBM X-Force report, published today, Claire Zaboeva, an analyst, said: “Phear-phishing emails were sent to selected executives at sales, procurement, information technology and finance positions, but also to the entire supply chain organizations ”
This phishing campaign has focused attacks on global organizations based around the world, ranging from Germany, Italy, South Korea and the Czech Republic to wider Europe and the Ταϊβάν.
The hackers' ultimate goal seems to be to collect credentials, which will later be used for further compromises and gathering information on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Η DHS-CISA also issued a warning, in coordination with the IBM X-Force report, warning organizations involved in storing and transporting COVID-19 vaccines to watch their defense.
In their phishing emails, attackers impersonate an executive businesss from Haier Biomedical, a Chinese company known as "the world's only complete cold chain organization" and as a specialist supplier for the program platformCold Chain Optimization Program (CCEOP) of the Vaccine Alliance.
No wonder these supply chains are being targeted by hackers. With the whole world dealing with the coronavirus the hackers have smelled money. Last month, the large cold storage organization Americold was hit by a cyber attack and forced to shut down its computer systems.
Although Americold has not been publicly confirmed as an organization involved in the COVID-19 refrigeration supply chain, Air Cargo World's news website he mentioned that Chicago Rockford Airport wants to partner with Americold to store COVID-19 vaccines before distribution.
