TLTP
LONDON
Britain’s spy agency has launched an offensive cyber operation to tackle anti-vaccine propaganda being spread online by hostile states.
GCHQ, which gathers communications from around the world to identify and disrupt threats to Britain, is using methods originally developed to tackle ISIS radicalisation material. The threat of fake news surrounding new vaccines has led the security services to use the technology to counter disinformation activities linked to Russia, according to foreign media.
According to the Centre for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, global Covid-19 cases have surpassed grave mark of 50 million,
The global case count reached 50,052,204, with a total of 1,253,110 deaths worldwide as of 11:24 a.m. local time (1624 GMT), the CSSE data showed. The United States reported the most cases and deaths around the world, which stood at 9,879,323 and 237,192, respectively. India recorded 8,507,754 cases, ranking second in the world. Brazil followed India with 5,653,561 cases and 162,269 deaths, the world’s second largest death toll.
The British government considers tackling false information about immunisation as a high priority, as the prospect of a reliable vaccine against the Covid-19 draws closer. A vaccine is seen as the world’s best chance for tackling the pandemic that has led to more than 1.2 million deaths.
GCHQ is Britain’s main eavesdropping agency and it has a close relationship with the US National Security Agency, as well as with the security agencies of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, in an intelligence alliance known as the “Five Eyes”.
“GCHQ has been told to take out anti-vaxers online and on social media,” the media said, citing a government source. “There are ways they have used to monitor and disrupt terrorist propaganda.” It cites Russia as being behind “a high proportion” of disinformation about the coronavirus.
The report said the focus of the operation is taking down hostile state-linked content and disrupting the communications of the cyber actors responsible. Last month, a fake news campaign targeted the UK’s Oxford University vaccine, claiming it was capable of turning people into monkeys. General Sir Nick Carter, the UK’s chief of the defence staff, has previously confirmed the security services are “helping to quash rumours” surrounding the pandemic. They have been targeting fake news surrounding the outbreak and rogue remedies.
In the summer, Britain accused Russia of trying to hack western coronavirus vaccine research. The National Cyber Security Centre identified attempts to hack research laboratories. Russia denies involvement.
Last month, US authorities charged six Russian military officers in connection with some of the world’s largest cyber attacks in the past decade. The US Department of Justice revealed the charges against six officers from Russia’s main intelligence directorate GRU, saying they were members of a sophisticated state-sponsored Russian secret hacking group called Sandworm.
