The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity, and the Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) put out a joint alert on Wednesday, warning that actors associated with the Chinese Communist Party are actively targeting US institutions for data and intellectual property relating to coronavirus research.
The FBI said it is currently investigating multiple data breaches and warned that research theft could very well jeopardize "the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options" for the novel coronavirus.
The FBI and CISA recommended that research institutions "patch all systems for critical vulnerabilities, prioritizing timely patching for known vulnerabilities of internet-connected servers and software processing internet data."
The agencies also urged institutions to do a scan for unauthorized access, modification, or anomalous activities, and to make efforts to improve credential requirements to gain access to research.
They also cautioned that an increase in media attention about virus research being done by a specific organization would lead to an increase in "cyber activity."
It is nothing new for communist China to try and steal intellectual property. Cybersecurity experts and US official stated last year that Chinese hackers targeted more than 24 universities in an effort to steal information about maritime technology developed for military use, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian claimed that China opposed cyber attacks of all forms, stating, "It is immoral for anyone to engage in rumor-mongering without presenting any evidence."
The warning from the FBI and CISA comes amid the escalating tensions between the US and China, as Beijing has reportedly been deliberately stalling international efforts to investigate the origins of the coronavirus.
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