While the agency was not worried about bigger companies like Pfizer or Moderna since they have cybersecurity experts on board, it targeted small companies that develop mRNA ingredients for the COVID-19 vaccines but lack the resources to protect against hacking campaigns.
“You could sneeze on that one company, and they would be disrupted. And if they were disrupted, we’d be living in a very different world right now because they were so critical to those mRNA candidates,” CISA senior adviser Josh Corman told The Verge.
Over the past year, CISA and the task force connected with hundreds of companies involved in the development, production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. The agency offered to help them check for any gaps in their digital networks, respond to any incidents and give them resources to increase their preparedness for attacks, according to the report.
Kansas City, Mo.-based Cerner was one of the groups that worked with CISA and the task force. The EHR vendor provided scheduling assistance, inventory and dose-tracking for organizations administering vaccines.
The COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution process so far has not been delayed by any cyberattacks, according to the report.
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