WHO Reports 'Dramatic' Increase in Cyberattacks

The number of cyberattacks and hacking incidents targeting the United Nation’s organization is now five times the amount the WHO saw during the same time period in 2019, according to CIO Bernardo Mariano.

“Ensuring the security of health information for member states and the privacy of users interacting with us is a priority for WHO at all times, but also particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mariano says.

Mariano’s update comes the same week that someone dumped over 25,000 email addresses and passwords online, including ones that belonged to the WHO, the Gates Foundation, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and other organizations, according to several published reports (see: WHO, Gates Foundation Credentials Dumped Online: Report).

Of that number, over 2,700 email address and password combinations belonged to the WHO, and nearly 460 were still valid. This forced the organization to reset its employees’ credentials. These and other attacks are driving the WHO to move to a more secure authentication system as well as work with private companies to strengthen internal security and better training for its staff, Mariano says.