Today, the Red Cross published a letter in which it has called for an end to cyber-attacks on healthcare and medical research facilities amid coronavirus pandemic. A group of political and business figures signed the letter.
The letter said such online attacks could endanger human lives and governments must take “immediate and decisive action” to stop them.
Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said in the letter, “We are hoping that the world’s governments will step up to affirm their commitments to the international rules that prohibit such actions.”
Microsoft Corporation President Brad Smith and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright are among the co-signers of the letter that is initiated by the award-winning civil society organization called CyberPeace Institute whose mission is to prevent the internet from becoming “weaponized.”
The urge to stop cyber-attacks came a month after the Czech Republic reported that its healthcare sector had come under digital attack, prompting a fiery response from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Pompeo said the attack was “deeply irresponsible and dangerous,” adding that the culprits should “expect consequences.” However, the Czech Republic and the American government are still to say who was to blame.
Over the last several months, many hospitals have been targeted with computer viruses and cyber-attacks to extort them or hold them for data ransom.
Many hacking groups have also targeted medical centers to steal important data about COVID-19 treatments.
Worldwide, the coronavirus has affected more than 5.5 million and killed over 347,900 people so far. In the United States, more than 1.7 million people have been affected by COVID-19, while over 99,000 deaths have been reported so far, according to worldometers.com.
