Cyber attacks against COVID-19 researchers and research institutions continues to be a threat to the University. In response to malicious activity targeting COVID-19 research and vaccine development in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, a joint cybersecurity advisory was released yesterday (July 16th) to detail new threats. A state-sponsored group of malicious attackers using a variety of tools and techniques, including phishing and custom malware, have been attempting to gain access to research institutions with the intention of stealing information and intellectual property related to the development and testing of COVID-19 vaccines.
The full joint cybersecurity advisory can be viewed here - https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/files/Advisory-APT29-targets-COVID-19-vaccine-development-V1-1.pdf
Canadian media outlets have been following this story and have published stories describing these threats to ensure researchers are aware of these continued and persistent attacks:
The University of Guelph Information Security team will continue to monitor the situation and work with our peers and government agencies to address any specific threats to our network.
In order to protect yourself and your research, we encourage you to review the latest cyber security resources on our website (https://infosec.uoguelph.ca) including these articles which detail proactive measures that you should be taking:
- Working from Home Securely
- Working Remotely
- Information Security Statement on Web Conferencing Solutions
- Tips for Secure Staff Web Conferences
- COVID 19: Stay Calm and Don't Get Scammed
As always, the Information Security team (infosec@uoguelph.ca) and the CCS Help Centre (IThelp@uoguelph.ca) are available for your questions or concerns.