International leaders urge UN to act against cyberattacks on healthcare News
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International leaders urge UN to act against cyberattacks on healthcare

The CyberPeace Institute worked with leaders from around the world to send a letter to the UN on Tuesday calling for greater prevention efforts against cyberattacks that have been plaguing the healthcare industry during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The letter was signed by more than 40 individuals such as former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, a professor of public international law at the University of Oxford and more.

According to the letter, medical facilities and organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic have been targeted frequently by cyberattacks in the last few weeks. The signatories stated that “cyber operations against healthcare facilities are unlawful and unacceptable,” and that governments must work with civil and private sectors to “ensure that medical facilities are respected and protected, and to hold perpetrators accountable.” The letter requests action from governments to stop the cyberattacks on hospitals and medical facilities.

The letter has also been featured in full-page print ads in The New York Times and The Guardian.

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