China hackers tried to steal data of coronavirus vaccine firm Moderna

In a bid to steal valuable data, Chinese government-linked hackers targeted biotech company Moderna Inc, a leading US-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, earlier this year, a US security official tracking Chinese hacking activity said.

Moderna's vaccine candidate is one of the earliest and biggest bets by the Trump administration to fight the pandemic.

The US security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details.