The COVID-19 vaccine holds the promise of a post-pandemic world. Many are looking forward to the end of isolation and re-engaging in face-to-face social contact. However, many steps need to be taken first.
Canada is expecting millions of doses this year, but the path to here was a long, complicated logistical dance. In British Columbia, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry revealed her agency had received “credible” security alarms concerning incoming COVID-19 vaccine shipments that triggered responses from the Department of National Defence and the RCMP.
Henry suggested there may be a “concerted effort to interrupt the cold chain and to sabotage immunization programs.”
The agencies in charge of logistics have their hands full protecting the physical security of vaccines. But what about cyber threats?
We know that a successful immunization rollout relies on an intricate supply chain that includes storage, temperature control (up to -70 C) and logistics information systems.
There are many access points along this chain that are at risk of data breaches. Recently, The New York Times reported that a series of cyberattacks was already targeting companies and governments involved in the distribution of coronavirus vaccines around the world.
The agencies in charge of logistics have their hands full protecting the physical security of vaccines. But what about cyber threats?
Beyond traditional hacking of secure information, the threat that most comes to mind is that of ransomware. Vancouverites have already witnessed a ransomware attack that crippled our Metro transit system, shining a light on the ever-present threat of ransomware attacks toward public-facing infrastructure. The criminals behind the attacks are keenly aware that critical services provide huge opportunities for ransom.
The vaccine chain requires an immense amount of data to make certain everything goes to plan. The risk is as large, if not larger, than the physical risk of exposure. COVID-19 has accelerated the digital transformation of the world, but in some ways has also put us more at risk.
If cyber criminals are able to gain access to vaccine information, such as batch numbers or logistics scheduled, encrypt it and withhold it from the government, how much would that cost us, even for the vaccine supply to not be disrupted for one day? The financial cost could be significant; the cost in human life is incalculable.
Each person across the chain is a potential victim. The asymmetrical warfare of cyber threats can disrupt an entire nation. The attacker only has to “win” one time, while we, as an industry, must be right every time.
Cold trucks with vaccines have tracking mechanisms, but a lost connection and data loss could stall the government’s campaign or even require it to start over again.
Once an attack has succeeded, three capabilities are key in mitigating the impact of ransomware attacks. First, backups must be protected from intentional, malicious encryption. Second, the day-to-day operation must be simple for IT staff. Third, any backup system must also be able to restore rapidly — far more rapidly than backup and recovery systems have historically been designed for.
There are new innovative solutions for data protection that can ensure fast restores in a matter of hours. Safe modes exist with multi-factored access protocols where backup data can’t be compromised even if admin credentials are compromised. There is no need to wholly “rip and replace” existing backup infrastructures.
COVID has accelerated the already prominent threat of cybercriminals. With the vaccine in play and a post-pandemic world on the horizon, no shortcuts can be taken. To ensure no disruptions, all parties involved in the supply chain for the vaccine need to take proper precautions to protect its data by incorporating industry-leading defence capabilities.
Shawn Rosemarin, vice-president of worldwide systems engineering
Andrew Miller, principal systems engineer, southeast
Pure Storage
