Britain’s spy agency has launched an offensive cyber operation to tackle anti-vaccine propaganda being spread online by hostile states.
GCHQ, which gathers communication from around the world to identify and disrupt threats to Britain, is using methods originally developed to tackle ISIS radicalisation material.
The threat of fake news surrounding new vaccines has led the security services to use the technology to counter disinformation activities linked to Russia, according to the Times.
The British government considers tackling false information about immunisation as a high priority, as the prospect of a reliable vaccine against the Covid-19 draws closer.
A vaccine is seen as the world’s best chance for tackling the pandemic that has led to more than 1.2 million deaths.
GCHQ is Britain’s main surveillance agency and it has a close relationship with the US National Security Agency, as well as with the security arms of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, in an intelligence alliance known as the “Five Eyes”.
"GCHQ has been told to take out anti-vaxers online and on social media," the Times said, citing a government source.
It cites Russia as being behind "a high proportion" of disinformation about the coronavirus.
The report said the focus of the operation is taking down hostile state-linked content and disrupting the communications of those responsible.
Last month, a fake news campaign targeted the UK's Oxford University vaccine, claiming it was capable of turning people into monkeys.
General Sir Nick Carter, UK chief of defence staff, has previously confirmed the security services are “helping to quash rumours" surrounding the pandemic.
They have been targeting fake news surrounding the outbreak and rogue remedies.
In the summer, Britain accused Russia of trying to hack western coronavirus vaccine research.
The National Cyber Security Centre identified attempts to access research laboratory data. Russia denies involvement.
Last month, US authorities charged six Russian military officers in connection with some of the world’s largest cyber attacks in the past decade.
The US Department of Justice revealed the charges against six officers from Russia’s main intelligence directorate GRU, saying they were members of a sophisticated, state-sponsored, secret hacking group called Sandworm.
They included computer fraud and conspiracy in launching attacks that entailed taking down Ukraine's power grid in 2015, an attempt to disrupt the French elections in 2016, and a cyber attack on the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea in 2018.
The%20specs
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Company%20profile
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scotland v Ireland:
Scotland (15-1): Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Josh Strauss, James Ritchie, Ryan Wilson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Simon Berghan, Stuart McInally, Allan Dell
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, D'arcy Rae, Ben Toolis, Rob Harley, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Blair Kinghorn
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
