Chinese firm's COVID-19 research data hacked

Global Times

Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/28 16:23:41

COVID-19 lab research data and coronavirus detecting source code from Chinese medical device maker Huiying Medical have been hacked, media reported on Tuesday. The hacker is selling the data for 4 bitcoins ($25,400).

According to internet security service provider Cyble, hacker "THE0TIME" claims to have access to Huiying Medical's source code for the COVID-19 detecting technology, experimental data and user data.

Hacked data included 150 MB of lab research on the novel coronavirus, 1 GB of technology-related content and source code for detection technology, as well as 1.5 MB of user data, according to the hacker's post.

It is reported that a network security team assembled to investigate the hack has informed Huiying Medical of the leaked data.

The Beijing-based medical device company, which combines artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science with medical imaging and profiling, has reportedly completed scientific research and clinical cooperation with more than 800 hospitals in China.

Huiying Medical announced in March that it had developed an AI-assisted detecting tool that uses CT chest scans to detect the presence of COVID-19. The solution's underpinning algorithms were based on 4,000 coronavirus cases, Chinese media reported.

The company had not responded to the Global Times' request for a comment by press time.