Cyberattacks on coronavirus vaccine projects confirmed in Japan

BTW, though it has apparently been deleted, I believe someone has claimed China will release the vaccine "for free". Just in case, I'll just point out here that is not true:

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3106319/china-promises-sell-covid-19-vaccines-fair-and-reasonable

China promises to sell Covid-19 vaccines at ‘fair and reasonable’ price around the world

Fair and reasonable is not free.

China and Russia already have vaccines... Really? Any scientific evidence or research data that has been peer reviewed? This is all PROPAGANDA ! China is a rogue state and should not be trusted. Russia was banned from the Olympics for cheating and covering up steroid test results. Both countries are now trying desperately to disrupt vaccine research and the Olympics. It makes perfect sense.

Vaccines are humanitarian goods and they should be shared by all humans in the first place. The western civilizations made this some feel good contest while millions of their people have died and are dying. Petty and pathetic

I remember when the DJ/suspect Cybersecurity expert was on here trying to explain how he knows all these sophisticated hacks out there like he was reading the plot from the movie Swordfish.

The most common cyberattacks are lowtech simple hacks. They are easy to acquire and setup. The easiest require physical access to the target. That means getting a spy in there or flipping someone either voluntarily or involuntarily.

Long distance hacking like Phishing is a numbers game. It is a boring, drawn-out, entirely unromantic slog. You just keep trying until somebody slips up. That can be either the hacker(s) or the target. Even long distance hacking works best in tandem with physical access.

Most of us receive some form of spam email from an unfamiliar source or see a questionable link on a website all the time then one day, you get tempted enough to click the link. Boom!

You have been hacked! Hopefully, your virus software would catch it before anything serious happens.

The software used was developed by Israel and used by the USA.

Sheep in wolf's clothing. This is the CCP acting through these groups modus operandi to cull vaccine information to build better viruses. Japan needs to be better prepared as the first war of cybernetic economics is well under way.

The U.S. firm did not disclose the names of the targeted institutions, but said it suspects the attacks have been attempted by a Chinese hacker group based on the techniques employed.

Suspects. Hacker group. That is meaningless speculation. The NSA, which tracks everything would be well aware of the source. China and Russia already have vaccines.

Maybe they are going to give the virus vaccine away for free, but if you steal something to put into your gifts, it's still theft.

And yes, I said theft though I think IP, excessive copyright in particular is overblown. There is a clear distinction between this and for example a "free" manga bank. The free manga bank does not appropriate the IP right. Once the research data is integrated into the Sino-Russian product, it will be.

they “create” this virus, ruining millions of people’s lives, and now this huh. many people feel disgust for the Chinese but I say this: poor two billion innocent brainwashed people...

I agree. Even POSTUS said the virus originated from China and they allowed it get released and now China is trying to destroy Japan's hard work and efforts of providing the community with a vaccine. Thats pretty dirty.

Keep the Hanko and everything is fine. Then a Russian or Chinese hacker can send what he ever wants, it is not valid until printed out and showing a Japanese Hanko stamp. It’s simple, it works , it’s safe and yes, it’s analog, because only analog rules. You’ll see , one day sooner or later.

Most of these institute have their own servers / email servers. Researchers must communicate (mandatory) through provided email address. Once you leave these institute all of your correspondence goes with it. Not a user friendly and primitive UI it looks really hackable.

As stated virus through an email attachment is so 1998. I believe the Chinese way would be through their research scholar spies who are already working at these institutions.

Nope. Read this report from 2013. The techniques used by the Chinese (and pretty much every other nation's) cyber warriors to enter a targeted network don't have to be super sophisticated because they can still count on users to be gullible and not recognize phishing when they see it. Simple works.

https://www.fireeye.com/content/dam/fireeye-www/services/pdfs/mandiant-apt1-report.pdf

The full report on the Fireeye website includes screen shots of the Chinese engaged in hacking targeted networks. Fireeye used to be called Mandiant when this report was written. Ultimately some of the people Mandiant identified were indicted by the US DoJ circa 2015 I think. The cool thing is this report is open source by a private internet security firm. It's not the product of any government agency.

The attacks involved sending emails attached with electronic files, which seemed to be related to the new virus but contained computer viruses, according to the company."

Seriously? Is it still 1998? That is not a "cyberattack", this is some kid who just learned how to make his first program in c++.

As basic as it is, phishing or it's variants spear phishing and whaling are how most cyber espionage pros first enter a targeted network. Yes there are other more technically sophisticated ways to break in but most often more sophisticated means are unnecessary. You can almost always count on users being sloppy and easily fooled by a well crafted phishing e-mail.

Well this is not really a surprise with news that China bypassed virus testing regulations and already started using their own vaccine so are currently in the front with a vaccine and are now trying to sabotage others from getting it ready either for $$$ or Military purposes.

As stated virus through an email attachment is so 1998. I believe the Chinese way would be through their research scholar spies who are already working at these institutions.

no proofs! an other story to tease china. stop the propaganda!

if it is true , it means that the Japanese laboratories are incompetent to work safely.

Japanese research institutions developing coronavirus vaccines have been hit by cyberattacks, apparently by China, in what are believed to be the first cases of their kind in the country targeted by attacks 

Ok an attack is an attack by any definition and according to the Constitution of Japan a country has been identified as the source of the attack. Now with this said where is the right to defend Japan and where is the alliance that is to protect Japan? Time to earn that money. An attack was completed so there must be recourse and action.

Do they use fax machines in the cyberterrorism branch of the police?

They had to justify the large amounts they are receiving as funding and for further funding by releasing this amateurish report .

they “create” this virus, ruining millions of people’s lives, and now this huh. many people feel disgust for the Chinese but I say this: poor two billion innocent brainwashed people...

A computer virus to halt a virus vaccine. Genius.

Why do we still do have ties with this country?

Those hackers are a fool! Don't they realize that everything is probably written down with pen and paper!