Security researchers at IBM say hackers are targeting organizations involved in the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the Verge reports.
Claire Zaboeva and Melissa Frydrych, who analyze cyber threats for IBM, write in a blog post that they have uncovered a global phishing campaign aimed at the cold storage aspect of the vaccine supply chain. Some COVID-19 vaccines need to be stored at very low temperatures — the Verge notes that Pfizer and BioNTech recommend that their vaccine be stored at negative 70 degrees Celsius.
According to Zaboeva and Frydrych, the targeted organizations span six countries and many appear connected to the Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform program, launched by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Zaboeva and Frydrych note it is unclear who the hackers are or whether their efforts have been successful. In response to the IBM report, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has issued a warning to Operation Warp Speed and other organizations involved in vaccine storage.