COMPROMISED

Hackers Attempted to Breach WHO System Earlier This Month

The World Health Organization has experienced more than a two-fold spike in cyberattacks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Hackers attempted to breach the World Health Organization’s system earlier this month amid the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters reported on Monday. WHO Chief Information Security Officer Flavio Aggio confirmed the attempted breach, which he said was unsuccessful, and noted that the agency has experienced more than a two-fold increase in cyberattacks as it fights the coronavirus crisis. “I realized quite quickly that this was a live attack on the World Health Organization in the midst of a pandemic,” said cybersecurity expert Alexander Urbelis, who detected the suspicious activity on March 13. Urbelis said the identity of the hackers is unknown, however multiple sources suspect that an elite hacking group dubbed DarkHotel might be responsible, according to Reuters. The World Health Organization released a warning on cyberattacks last month, saying that “criminals are disguising themselves as WHO to steal money or sensitive information.”