North Korea tried to obtain COVID vaccine info by hacking into Pfizer: Report

South Korea’s spy agency on February 16 informed that North Korean hackers tried to break into the computer of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in a search for information on a coronavirus vaccine and treatment technology. Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that South Korean lawmakers Ha Tae-Keung informed that North Korea tried to obtain technology involving the COVID-19 vaccine by using cyberwarfare to hack into Pfizer. Tae-Keung told reporters after a hearing behind closed doors that Seoul’s National Intelligence Service “briefed” the lawmakers about North Korea’s hacking attempt. 

COVID-19 in North Korea 

North Korea has been under self-imposed isolation since closing its borders in January last year to curb the spread of coronavirus that first emerged in neighbouring China. Leader Kim Jong Un has repeatedly insisted that the country has had no coronavirus cases, although outside experts doubt those assertions. Further, the closure of the country has also added to the pressure on its tottering economy from international sanctions imposed over its banned weapons systems, increasing the urgency for the nation to find a way to deal with the disease. 

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Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine developed jointly with Germany’s BioNTech, began winning approval from authorities late last year. It is based on technology that uses the synthetic version of a molecule called “messenger RNA” to hack into human cells and effectively turn them into vaccine-making factories. The pharmaceutical company expects to potentially deliver up to two billion doses. 

Meanwhile, it is worth noting that a UN inquiry had earlier reported about a $281 million theft of assets from cryptocurrency last September with links to North Korea. IBM had also previously warned that it had uncovered a series of cyberattacks by state actors against companies involved in distributing COVID-19 vaccine doses. The IBM analysts have said that the purpose behind the hacking may have been to harvest credentials, possibly to gain future unauthorization access to corporate networks and sensitive information relating to the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. 

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