For over 20 months, we have been the target of an intense anti-vax attack. And it is in part driven by Covid-19 skeptics.
Here, we summarize the attack. And also detail some of the techniques employed. More, we discuss the steps we have taken to mitigate it in the future.
Efforts to interfere in public health are not a new problem. And they are a national issue. Moreover, the F.B.I. has flagged the issue and the news media regularly reports on them, too. Thus, this article shines a light on it.
More, reports have documented attacks specifically aimed at stopping Covid-19 vaccine efforts. On December 3, 2020, Bloomberg News first reported on an attack that targeted the global vaccine supply chain. And in April, 2021, they reported on additional attacks. And the attack against us is an extension of this attack, but is managed and conducted by American citizens.
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More, we use Stripe and PayPal to process all donations. And they are trusted worldwide by many companies and organizations for their banking-level security.
Our Work to End the Attack
We are utilizing a multi-prong approach to mitigate and sideline it, and 100% shield us in the future. In part to accomplish this, a report has been prepared by an expert that breaks down the attack. And recently, we began sharing it with key thought leaders and experts. Last, we are engaging our peers and experts to assist in this effort.
Attack Goals
The simple goal of the anti-vax attack is to interrupt and sabotage our efforts. And below, we demonstrate some of the simple, yet effective methods employed to accomplish this.
Because we were the first to launch a COVID-19 health campaign, it makes us a juicy attack. More, when the attack began, the perpetuators were likely unaware that the pandemic would extend well into 2021. Thus, in effort to stymie this story and not get caught, they increased their efforts.
Impact of the Attack
In early 2020, we developed a plan to launch nationwide PSAs. And they were designed to deliver messages about masks and other safety steps. In 2021, we developed new PSAs encouraging vaccinations. But these efforts were silenced.
Additionally, the attack has impacted every level of our operation. And it interferes in fundraising and other important mission-critical tasks. More, the attackers have succeeded in closing accounts and more. We believe that if our work were unhampered, the interventions potentially would had saved many lives.
Common Methods employed in the Attack
They use a simple, yet effective method in the attack: they intercept communications to interfere in operations. And then they contact others, misrepresenting themselves.
A YouTube production shows how easy this is to carry out. For several years, Dr. Derek Muller has made a wide range of science-related videos for YouTube.
In one video (ironically on stopping phone scammers), Dr. Muller and his team successfully convinced a Fed Ex driver to not deliver shipments. But instead, to return them to the sender. And they were actually on the ethical side in their activity. But what the video also shows how anyone for any reason can make similar claims, and interfere, too. And a common technique used by hackers is to claim that they are “law enforcement”.
Future Work
Our work does not end with safeguarding our operation. But we plan to continue with this effort in the future.
Last, we want to acknowledge and thank vendors and others for their support.