Hackers from North Korea are suspected of trying to break into the systems of the British drugmaker behind the coronavirus vaccine.

Two sources told Reuters news agency about the attempted breach of AstraZeneca’s online security.

It comes as the race for a Covid-19 vaccine has ramped up in recent weeks, with the company as one of the frontrunners to get one approved first.

The hackers reportedly posed as recruiters on networking site LinkedIn and WhatsApp to approach AstraZeneca staff with fake job offers.

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They then sent documents under the guide of job descriptions that were laced with malicious code designed to gain access to a victim’s computer.

One source said the hacking attempts targeted a ‘broad set of people’ from the company, including staff working on Covid-19 research – but the attempts are not thought to have been successful.

The North Korean mission to the United Nations in Geneva did not respond to a request for comment, but has previously denied carrying out cyberattacks.

AstraZeneca declined to comment.

The sources, who wish to remain anonymous, said the tools and techniques used in the attacks showed they were part of an a hacking campaign that US officials and cybersecurity researchers have attributed to North Korea.

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