US officials say China-linked hackers are targeting organisations researching the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it had seen hacking attempts on US groups researching vaccines, treatments and testing.
The FBI as well as Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a division of the homeland security department, issued a rare joint warning on Wednesday.
In what was billed as a public service announcement, it said healthcare, pharmaceutical and research sectors working on COVID-19 response should all be aware they are prime targets of hackers.
The US has long accused the Chinese government of cyber-espionage, something Beijing denies.
The pandemic has worsened tensions between the two countries, which have both accused each other of failing to contain the outbreak.
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