South Korea says it foiled the North's attempt to hack COVID-19 vaccine makers
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North Korea has so far not confirmed any coronavirus infection.
South Korea's intelligence agency said it foiled the North's attempts to hack into its companies developing coronavirus vaccines.
North Korea has so far not confirmed any coronavirus infection.
Ha Tae-keung, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, said after being briefed by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) that the agency did not specify how many and which drugmakers were targetted but said there was no damage from the hacking attempts.
The revelation came after Microsoft said early this month that hackers working for the Russian and North Korean governments tried to break into the networks of seven pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in Canada, France, India, South Korea and the United States.
The closed-door briefings by the NIS which shares intelligence and analyses with other key neighbours provide rare public access to information about the reclusive North.
Ha and another member Kim Byung-kee said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had taken some "unreasonable" action due to a COVID-19 "paranoia."
That included banning fishing and salt production because the seawater might have been contaminated with the virus, and stranding some 110,000 tons of rice from China in the northeastern Chinese port of Dalian.