FBI, CISA issues warning for COVID-19 research organizations

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a warning to organizations conducting research on the COVID-19 pandemic.

These agencies are warning that healthcare researchers are prime targets from fraudsters from the People’s Republic of China. The FBI and CISA claim that China’s efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to the country’s COVID-19 response. The warning is intended to raise awareness for research institutions and the American public and provide resources for those who may be targeted.

Organizations that suspect suspicious activity should contact their local FBI field office. CISA is calling on all organizations supporting the COVID-19 response to partner with the agency to help protect critical response efforts. FBI and CISA officials said more technical details regarding the threat will be released in the coming days.

“These actors have been observed attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property (IP) and public health data related to vaccines, treatments, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related research. The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options,” FBI and CISA officials said.

Earlier this month, CISA and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Agency released a similar warning of malicious actors targeting COVID-19 response organizations using a tactic of password spraying.