As pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organizations turn their attention from the development to the deployment of coronavirus vaccines, well-resourced cybercriminals are hotly following suit. The vaccine supply chain is rife with logistical complexities making the enormously valuable data on the various vaccines deeply attractive to threat actors. In fact, cybercriminals are already attempting to steal vaccine formulas and disrupt operations. Recently, a global phishing campaign targeting organizations associated within the COVID-19 “cold chain” was uncovered— and we must anticipate many more similar attacks.
Cyberattacks on vaccine supply chains can literally be life-threatening. One click can cripple plans to immunize the masses. As attack surfaces expand, it’s essential that players in the highly intertwined network of big pharma, biotech, manufacturing, health and clinical research become more cyber resilient by taking a number of steps to prepare for potential attacks.