North Korean hackers ‘target’ Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

North Korean hackers have reportedly targeted the coronavirus vaccine project led by Oxford University and AstraZeneca in recent weeks.

The hackers, who posed as recruiters on LinkedIn and WhatsApp, approached AstraZeneca staff with fake job offers, according to Reuters. They then sent documents purporting to be job descriptions that were encrypted with malicious code designed to gain access to a victim’s computer.

It is thought the attempts to access sensitive material targeted a number of research staff but were ultimately unsuccessful.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson refused to comment on the reports but told a media briefing on Friday: “Working alongside our allies, the NCSC [National Cyber Security Centre] is committed to protecting our most critical assets, the health sector and crucial vaccine research and development against threats.”