Cozy Bears and Hidden Cobras: The hackers targeting COVID-19 vaccine researchers

As COVID researchers around the world race to develop vaccines in record times, they’re being quietly tailed by spies and thieves.

Secretive crews of cyber-mercenaries and state-sponsored hackers with names like Cozy Bear and Hidden Cobra are watching and waiting.

Last week, the target was the European Medicines Agency, which had confidential documents about the Pfizer vaccine stored on its server.

It’s not clear when or how the attack took place, or who was responsible, but it was at least partly successful — some of these documents were unlawfully accessed.

Cyber attacks on COVID researchers have intensified as vaccine research has developed and the honeypot of intellectual property (IP) has grown sweeter, authorities say.

Tim…