As reported by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), both the universities and research centres have become popular targets for hackers from foreign states.
According to the NCSC, state hackers from other countries are targeting research being conducted in the UK on the coronavirus. As is known, all countries are racing against time to discover how to limit the spread of the virus.
It is believed that groups funded by the governments of Russia, Iran and China are trying to steal this valuable data, targeting the country's universities and research centers.
The NCSC calls this tactic "reprehensible," but said that attacks by government groups have remained stable during the lockdown.
Hackers typically focus on spying and stealing valuable information, including customer data, banking records, and company intellectual property, often targeting data that has either political or economic value .
Research into a coronavirus vaccine has increased, and whichever country discovers it first will likely benefit financially due to global demand. This has resulted in increased competition at both the research and government levels.
In April, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK government would allocate 40 million pounds ($49 million) to universities, including the University of Oxford and Imperial College London, which are working on creating a viable vaccine.
The University of Oxford has already begun testing vaccines on humans, and both Imperial College London and the University of Bristol hope to do the same soon.
If the trials are successful, then mass production of the vaccine will begin. To achieve this, the University of Oxford is working with the UK, which will help with large-scale vaccine production and potential distribution.
So far, hacking attempts at the country's major universities have been unsuccessful and no data has yet been leaked.
