Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine data modification and leak (2020)
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Date | December 2020.[1] |
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Suspected actor | Sources close to the incident investigation stated that Russian and Chinese intelligence agencies were behind the attack.[2]
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Target | European Medicines Agency (EMA) |
Target systems | EMA internal servers.[5] The perpetrators focused on documents relating to the regulatory submission for Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine. [6] |
Method | Firstly, the perpetrators used spearfishing on specifically selected EMA employees concealing themselves as their colleagues.[7] After the victims took the bait, the email implanted malware which enabled the perpetrators to intercept email traffic.[2]
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Purpose | Some of the documents were made public. After its analysis, EMA warned that the documents had been altered,[8] most probably to undermine trust in the vaccine and significantly damage EMA and Pfizer's reputation and credibility. The altered documents were then used in the disinformation campaigns regarding COVID-19 vaccines to undermine trust in the vaccine admission process and its safety.
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Result | Some of the EMA unlawfully accessed documents related to COVID-19 medicines and vaccines have been leaked on the internet, including internal confidential email correspondence dating from November 2020, relating to evaluation processes for COVID-19 vaccines.[8]
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Aftermath | EMA immediately launched a probe and contacted respective authorities that began a criminal investigation into the incident.[11] The drug regulator informed Pfizer and BioNTech of unlawful access to their documents by a third party after the altered documents had been leaked on the internet.[10]
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Analysed in | Scenario 04: A State’s failure to assist an international organization |
Collected by: ???
- ↑ ComputerWeekly, "Data on Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine stole in cyber attack", 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Reuters, "Russian, Chinese hackers targeted Europe drug regulator: newspaper", 2021
- ↑ BBC, "Coronavirus: Russian spies target Covid-19 vaccine research", 2020.
- ↑ The journal, "European Medicines Agency says it has been targeted in cyber attack", 2020.
- ↑ HealthcareITNews, "Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine data leaked by hackers", 2021.
- ↑ Reuters, "Hackers steal Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine data in Europe, companies say", 2020.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 DeVolkskrant, "Russian and Chinese hackers gained access to EMA", 2021.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 EMA, "Cyberattack on EMA - update 5", 2021.
- ↑ EMA, "Cyberattack on EMA - update 6", 2021.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Politico, "EU medicines agency says hackers manipulated leaked coronavirus vaccine data", 2021.
- ↑ European Parliament, "Parliamentary questions", 2021.
- ↑ CPO Magazine, "Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Data Stolen From European Medicines Agency’s Server Leaked Online", 2021.