Government officials and health-care groups are growing increasingly concerned about nation states and criminal hackers targeting the supply chain for COVID-19 vaccines.<\/p>\n
Concerns have been amplified as the U.S. prepares to roll out the first vaccines later this month, with groups involved in creating and shipping the vaccines a prime target for potential cyberattacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have noticed an uptick in attacks against all aspects of the vaccine supply-chain from research through to manufacturing and distribution,\u201d Marc Rogers, the executive director of cybersecurity at software group Okta, told The Hill on Friday.<\/p>\n
Rogers, who helps lead the COVID-19 CTI League that tracks and helps defend against cyberattacks aimed at health groups, noted that the League has seen \u201cramped up\u201d cyberattacks aimed at medical institutions corresponding to increasingly positive news around vaccine development.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy suspicion is that all parties in the cybercriminal underground from ordinary criminals to nation states recognize that the vaccines represent a golden opportunity and are responding as such,\u201d Rogers said.<\/p>\n