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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Regulation documents related to <keyword id="44612" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pfizer">Pfizer</keyword> and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine were "unlawfully accessed" after a cyberattack on Europe's medicines regulator.</li><li>They added that "no BioNTech or Pfizer systems have been breached in connection with this incident and we are unaware of any personal data of study participants being accessed."</li><li>Hacking attempts against healthcare and medical organisations have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said on Wednesday that regulation documents related to their development of a COVID-19 vaccine had been "unlawfully accessed" in a cyberattack on Europe's medicines regulator. The European Medicines Agency (EMA), responsible for assessing and approving medicines and vaccines for the European Union, said hours earlier it had been targeted in a cyberattack. It gave no further details. Pfizer and BioNTech said they were waiting for further information from the EMA, but the agency "has assured us that the cyber attack will have no impact on the timeline for its review." It was not immediately clear when or how the attack took place, who was responsible or what other information may have been compromised. A spokeswoman for BioNTech declined further comment. Pfizer did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. The two companies said in a joint statement that they had been informed by the EMA "that the agency has been subject to a cyber attack and that some documents relating to the regulatory submission for Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine candidate ... had been unlawfully accessed." They added that "no BioNTech or Pfizer systems have been breached in connection with this incident and we are unaware of any personal data of study participants being accessed." The EMA gave few details about the attack in its earlier statement, saying only that it was investigating the incident with help from law enforcement. "EMA cannot provide additional details whilst the investigation is ongoing. Further information will be made available in due course," it said in a statement. Hacking attempts against healthcare and medical organisations have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic as attackers ranging from state-backed spies to cyber criminals scramble to obtain the latest information about the outbreak. Reuters has previously documented how hackers linked to North Korea, Iran, Vietnam, China and Russia have on separate occasions been accused of trying to steal information about the virus and its potential treatments. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/infosys-hcl-tech-and-tcs-stocks-may-see-another-surge-estimates-edelweiss-heres-why/articleshow/79659516.cms">One research firm says shares of Infosys, HCL Tech, and TCS may see another surge — here's why</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-desi-gps-finally-joins-china-russia-and-the-us-after-a-two-year-long-wait/articleshow/79656300.cms">India’s desi-GPS is now in the same league as the US, Russia and China — can scan 1,500 kilometres beyond its own borders</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/canada-has-enough-covid-19-vaccine-doses-to-cover-each-citizen-five-times-over-while-the-fate-of-67-poor-countries-remains-undecided/articleshow/79645493.cms">Canada has enough COVID-19 vaccine doses to cover each citizen five times over while the fate of 67 poor countries remains undecided</a>

Pfizer and BioNTech says their vaccine data was 'unlawfully accessed' in a cyberattack on an EU regulator

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13473" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="North-Korea">North Korea</keyword> wants "to decide which [vaccine] will be the easiest to bootleg and transport for the black market," said an official.</li><li>The nation has a long history of counterfeiting, bootlegging, drug dealing, and arms smuggling.</li><li>The dictatorship wants foreign currency. Its domestic currency is mostly worthless.</li></ul><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/north-korea-pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-hack/2021/02/16/c09ec7fc-702e-11eb-8651-6d3091eac63f_story.html">North Korean hackers attempted to breach the servers of the US-based vaccine manufacturer Pfizer</a>, and its German partner BioNTech, in hopes of gathering scientific data that could be used to manufacture bootleg copies of a COVID-19 vaccine to sell on international black markets, according to intelligence officials in Europe.North Korea's intent was likely to raise funds in foreign currency. The hermit dictatorship's domestic currency is mostly worthless outside its borders.Two European security officials briefed on cyber-operations told Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccine-programs-hackers-spies-stealing-info-2021-2">the attempted intrusion</a> was likely an official North Korean operation to gather scientific data on <keyword id="44612" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pfizer">Pfizer</keyword>'s COVID-19 vaccine, one of just <a href="https://extranet.who.int/pqweb/sites/default/files/documents/Status_COVID_VAX_16Feb2021.pdf">three vaccines so far approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization</a>. Both officials said the attempt was connected to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-russia-north-korea-vaccines-efc925638332b4a42d06d36066802d33">November's announcement of multiple hacking intrusions via Microsoft network infrastructure</a>."It clearly was an information-gathering attempt rather than a malware- or ransom-style attack. I will not get into technical details but we have developed plenty of experience with each type of attack," said a European official, who would not be named because of extreme sensitivity of the situation."North Korea will have physical access to Pfizer vaccines long after they've seen Chinese or Russian versions. But they want to decide which will be the easiest to bootleg and transport for the black market," said the official, pointing out that both Russia and China have promised millions of doses to North Korea for free, despite the country's claim it has never had a case of COVID. "So they wanted to take a look to see if the Pfizer vaccine would be a viable dose to copy," added the official. "We are not giving out any information on whether the hacking attempt succeeded but if it had I'd suspect the Pfizer vaccine would provide too many manufacturing and storage problems compared to the Russian or Chinese vaccines." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-vaccines-compared-vaccine-pfizer-oxford-moderna-astrazeneca-side-effects-2021-2">The Pfizer vaccine requires two types of refrigeration; the AstraZeneca version needs only a normal fridge.</a>Asked if North Korea would be trying to sell a bootleg of some sort, the source said without a doubt, considering North Korea's long history of counterfeiting, bootlegging, drug dealing and arms smuggling through their embassies around the world.Hacking alone provides massive amounts of income to the regime, according to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56103921">indictments last week by US authorities against a ring of North Korean state-linked hackers</a> accused of stealing $1.3 billion from various targets.For decades, North Korea has been accused of using its embassies as lucrative outposts for organized crime ranging from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/counterfeit-supernote-found-in-south-korea-2017-12">counterfeiting US currency</a>, dealing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/world/asia/north-korea-crystal-meth-methamphetamine-drugs-.html">methamphetamine around the world</a> via secure diplomatic pouches, to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/instant-article/idUSN1268919">selling arms to rogue regimes</a> in violation of embargos.In 2007, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-syria-nuclear-idUSKBN1GX09K">Israeli warplanes bombed a secret nuclear reactor being built in Syria</a> with the help of North Korean engineers, who have long covertly assisted Middle Eastern regimes in exchange for hard currency."The North Koreans have been essential to Israeli's enemies since the 1970s, helping first the PLO build massive fortifications and bunkers throughout the camps in Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley," said a former Israeli official. "And today we have strong evidence - it's without a doubt really - that for decades they have been working with Hezbollah and Iran to reinforce their positions, not only in Lebanon but Iran as well."When asked why North Korea was their resource of choice, the source was blunt."They're great engineers with a national history of mining," they said. "Arabs don't really have hundreds of years of coal mining to fall on for expertise like they do. And they can work anywhere and there will be no questions if there's an accident or the site gets bombed by the [Israeli Air Force]."

North Korea hacked Pfizer because it wants to sell bootleg COVID vaccines on the international black market, sources say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>What happened last week?</li><li>A <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> from <keyword id="44612" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pfizer">Pfizer</keyword> began rolling out around the US.</li><li>FBI officials announced <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/washington-under-significant-ongoing-cyberattack-says-fbi-2020-12">"a significant and ongoing"</a> cyberattack involving <keyword id="609247" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="SolarWinds">SolarWinds</keyword> Orion software, used by a long list of government agencies.</li><li>In cities around the world, coronavirus cases soared last week, spurring officials to impose strict lockdowns that will last until after the festive season.</li></ul>As 2020 raced to a close, the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines began making their way to communities around the world, a <keyword id="99084" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="hack">hack</keyword> of government computers in the US spurred talk of Russian sanctions, and countries made difficult decisions about locking down over the Christmas holiday. Here's what happened last week. <h2>Pfizer began its vaccine rollout</h2><div type="image" title="Covid vaccine Ian McKellan London.JPG" height="2841" width="4000" msid="79827827" hostid="261"></div>After an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-authorizes-pfizer-biontech-coronavirus-vaccine-for-us-emergency-use-2020-12">emergency use approval</a> by the US Food and Drug Administration on December 12, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech started rolling out to locations across the US. Trucks carrying it left Pfizer's Michigan facility <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trucks-carrying-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-facility-leave-michigan-plant-2020-12">last Sunday</a>. A growing list of public figures received the vaccine, including actor Ian McKellen, above. Out of hundreds of thousands of shots given last week, there were four reported <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-allergy-concerns-reactions-rare-not-life-threatening-2020-12">non-life-threatening allergic reactions</a>. On Thursday, Pfizer said some doses <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-waiting-on-government-to-ship-millions-of-coronavirus-shots-2020-12">were piling up in warehouses</a>, because the federal government hadn't given clear direction about where they were headed. President-elect Joe Biden and incoming first lady Jill Biden are expected to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-jill-biden-receive-coronavirus-vaccine-healthcare-pfizer-2020-12">get their vaccine shots</a> on Monday. <h2>US officials uncovered a massive SolarWinds hacking effort</h2><div type="image" title="SolarWinds Orion Headquarters Austin Texas December 2020.JPG" height="2651" width="3971" msid="79827828" hostid="261"></div>On Sunday, government agencies, including the US Treasury Dept. and the Commerce Dept., said their computer systems <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solarwinds-hack-us-government-agencies-cisa-fireeye-microsoft-2020-12">had been compromised</a>.By Wednesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigations had announced that computers at a wide range of federal government agencies were under <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/washington-under-significant-ongoing-cyberattack-says-fbi-2020-12">"a significant and ongoing"</a> attack. The attack on software from SolarWinds may have affected thousands of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solarwinds-hack-will-take-years-to-investigate-experts-say-2020-12">companies and government agencies</a>. On Thursday, Microsoft <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-solarwinds-cyber-attack-russians-customers-2020-12">said it had been hit by the hack</a>, but denied reports its products and services had been compromised. The White House reportedly had planned a statement blaming Russia, but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-stand-down-blaming-russia-for-cyberattack-ap-2020-12">officials were told to stand down</a>.On Friday, Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, said Russia was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-pompeo-massive-us-cyberattack-pretty-clearly-tied-to-russia-2020-12">"pretty clearly"</a> behind the cyber attack. But President Donald Trump seemed to walk that idea back on Saturday, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solarwinds-software-cybersecurity-breach-trump-russia-china-pompeo-technology-2020-12">saying on Twitter</a> that "The Cyber Hack is far greater in the Fake <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> Media than in actuality." On Sunday, President-elect Joe Biden was reportedly mulling options for retaliation against Russia, according to Reuters. He'd said on Thursday: "<h2>Christmas lockdowns spread around the world</h2><div type="image" title="Boris Johnson Coronavirus Tier 4.JPG" height="3119" width="4582" msid="79827833" hostid="261"></div>In cities around the world, coronavirus cases soared last week, spurring officials to impose strict lockdowns that will last until after the usually festive holiday season. Germany <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/germany-enter-strict-covid-19-lockdown-christmas-new-year-2020-12">announced</a> its <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword> last Sunday, followed by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/italy-orders-nationwide-coronavirus-lockdown-over-the-holidays-2020-12">Italy</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-strict-christmas-new-years-eve-lockdown-coronavirus-surge-fear-2020-12">a growing roster</a> of other European countries. On Saturday, the prime minister, Boris Johnson, moved London and some surrounding areas <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/london-on-lockdown-and-christmas-canceled-new-covid-19-variant-2020-12">into Tier 4</a>, a new restrictive lockdown. "We're asking everyone in all tiers to stay local. People should carefully consider if they need to travel abroad," he said.On Saturday night, hours before the new rules came into force, crowds of Londoners <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-chaotic-scenes-londoners-rush-to-beat-midnight-lockdown-2020-12">flooded train stations and airports</a>, trying to escape.

What happened last week? Pfizer's vaccine rollout began, the SolarWinds hack caused ripples, and Christmas lockdowns spread through Europe.

Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to receive this newsletter</a>. Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me at <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>.Here's what we're talking about:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-election-audit-trump-update-doj-2021-6">There are serious concerns if the Biden administration intervenes in the GOP-led Arizona audit</a></li><li><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/09/fauci-blasts-preposterous-covid-conspiracies-accuses-critics-of-attacks-on-science.html">Dr. Anthony Fauci compared attacks on him to 'quite frankly, attacks on science'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-quit-job-openings-record-vacancies-labor-department-2021-6">4 million Americans quit their jobs in April - a 20-year record</a></li></ul>One thing to watch for: President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus pandemic at 1:15 p.m. ET during his first presidential overseas trip.With Jordan Erb1. RAISING THE ARIZONA QUESTION: Pressure is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-election-audit-trump-update-doj-2021-6">increasing on the Department of Justice to intervene in the GOP-led Arizona election audit</a>. Elections experts tell Insider that there is a need for the federal government to get involved given the lack of transparency about what even local Republican officials have dismissed as a sham.<ul><li>Key quote: "Everyone has pointed out the myriad of problems with the so-called audit, and yet it continues on," said Grant Woods, a former Republican attorney general of Arizona who has become a Democrat. "At some point, we're going to have to make a point in this country that you can't do this." Woods said he had reached out to the DOJ to encourage it to deploy people to Arizona who could more closely monitor the audit.</li></ul>But officials are far from united in what Washington should do:Some advised staying as far away as possible: One official worried that the unintended consequence of such an action could be akin to the deadly Capitol riot. "Could there be another riot or interaction like they had on January 6? You bet," said Steve Gallardo, the only Democratic official on the board of supervisors in Maricopa County.<ul><li>Others think the best thing to do is nothing at all: If Democrats believe the audit "is a train wreck, then they should let the train run off the track, not stop the train from breaking," said Bennie Smith, a Democratic election official in Tennessee, who has traveled to Arizona to monitor the audit.</li></ul>The DOJ has warned Arizona's Senate president that the audit could be violating federal law: Pamela Karlan, the principal deputy assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, expressed concern to the Arizona Senate's president, Karen Fann, about reports that ballot and other election materials were being destroyed and compromised under the supervision of Cyber Ninjas, the cybersecurity firm hired to help with the audit that has no previous election-related experience.The audit may also be done soon: Ken Bennett, the Arizona Senate liaison overseeing the Maricopa County audit, said the hand count could finish this week with a report issued late next month or early August. <a href="https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/may/04/ask-politifact-why-are-arizona-republicans-auditin/">Of course, previous government-run audits found nothing amiss</a>. Local officials have also promised to challenge whatever report is issued.<ul><li>But it's unlikely that Arizona will be the end of this: Lawmakers from several states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Colorado, have traveled to Arizona to observe the audit. <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azcentral.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Farizona%2F2021%2F06%2F07%2Farizonas-ballot-audit-could-spread-other-states%2F7528915002%2F">Experts fear that what's happening in Maricopa County is just a preview of what's to come</a>.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-election-audit-trump-update-doj-2021-6">More on the competing pressures on the Justice Department.</a>2. Four million Americans quit their jobs in April - a 20-year record: Companies were advertising 9.3 job million openings at the end of April, up 12% from the previous month, the Labor Department said. The number of vacancies grew most in the accommodation and food-service sectors, which are opening up after more than a year of pandemic restrictions. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-quit-job-openings-record-vacancies-labor-department-2021-6">Businesses have reported severe labor shortages in recent weeks</a>.3. The Pentagon is reportedly weighing airstrikes after Afghanistan withdrawal: Military officials are looking into the possibility of supporting Afghan forces with airstrikes depending on the threat of the Taliban taking control over a major city in the country, The New York Times reports. The Biden administration initially planned to end US air support when troops were withdrawn, but concern over the consequences of withdrawal is said to have prompted it to reconsider. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-weighs-airstrikes-to-aid-afghan-forces-against-the-taliban-report-2021-6">Officials said no decisions had been made</a>.4. Progressives draw a red line on infrastructure talks: A handful of Democratic senators went public with their outrage after a White House official acknowledged during an interview that Biden might not get some of his most ambitious climate proposals in a final infrastructure bill, Politico reports. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/09/progressives-climate-provisions-infrastructure-492667">Lawmakers are reportedly worried that climate concerns will lose out in the push for a bipartisan deal</a>.<ul><li>Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts:</li></ul><a href="https://twitter.com/SenMarkey/status/1402788811793485830"><div type="image" title="Screen Shot 2021 06 10 at 3.43.02 AM" height="362" width="1184" msid="83397525" hostid="261"></div></a><div type="image" title="trump bible" height="1333" width="2000" msid="83397526" hostid="261"></div>5. Watchdog says protesters were not cleared for a Trump photo op: Law-enforcement officials cleared Lafayette Park in Washington, DC, to put up fencing - not to enable then-President Donald Trump's now-infamous photo op at St. John's Church in June 2020, an internal watchdog for the Interior Department concluded in a report. The report focused largely on the Park Police and did not interview Secret Service officials or other agencies about what happened that day. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/protesters-not-cleared-dc-park-trump-photo-op-watchdog-2021-6">More on the report's conclusions here</a>.6. US reportedly set to buy 500 million Pfizer vaccine doses to ship around the world: The Biden administration is lining up 500 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's two-dose coronavirus vaccine, The Washington Post reports. This latest development comes on the heels of the Biden administration promising 80 million vaccine doses to be exported in conjunction with the World Health Organization's COVAX effort. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-exporting-vaccine-500-million-pfizer-doses-worldwide-2021-6">More on the vaccine diplomacy here</a>.7. World's largest beef supplier paid $11 million to hackers: JBS made a ransom payment to hackers after they temporarily knocked out the company's plants that process roughly one-fifth of the US's meat, The Wall Street Journal reports. A top executive said the payment was made to shield the company from further disruption and to try to minimize the hack's effects on the supply chain. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/jbs-paid-11-million-to-resolve-ransomware-attack-11623280781?mod=hp_lead_pos2">Amid a wave of attacks, some federal officials support barring companies from making such ransom payments</a>.8. Dr. Fauci has had enough: Dr. Anthony Fauci lashed out at his critics, saying the recent string of attacks on him were "quite frankly, attacks on science." <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/09/fauci-blasts-preposterous-covid-conspiracies-accuses-critics-of-attacks-on-science.html">Fauci told MSNBC, "People want to fire me or put me in jail for what I've done - namely, follow the science."</a>9. A New York mayoral frontrunner tried to put to bed concerns that he lives in New Jersey: Brooklyn's borough president, Eric Adams, showed reporters a basement unit in a row house where he insisted he lived when not sleeping in the office. A Politico New York investigation raised questions on where Adams lived given conflicting public information and where he'd been observed sleeping most nights. Adams previously said he was living in his office. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-adams-residence-mystery-politico-report-nyc-mayoral-race-2021-6">Rival campaigns quickly seized on the saga</a>.<a href="https://www.insider.com/elephant-herd-travels-across-china-photos-2021-6"><div type="image" title="AP21159200105383" height="2261" width="4020" msid="83397529" hostid="261"></div></a>10. A herd of 15 elephants is wandering around China and wreaking havoc: The elephants have been on the move for a year, since they left their reserve in the Yunnan province in southwestern China. On their journey, they have knocked on people's doors, put their trunks through residents' windows, strolled into a car dealership, and destroyed over $1 million of crops. <a href="https://www.insider.com/elephant-herd-travels-across-china-photos-2021-6">Photos of their expedition</a>.Today's trivia question: Congress has seen many lawmakers represent more than one state during their careers. But James Shields is the only senator to have represented three states. Can you name more than one of them? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Yesterday's answer: Later America's second president, the diplomat John Adams had the delicate task of presenting his credentials to King George III as the US's first ambassador to the UK. <a href="https://thecrownchronicles.co.uk/history/history-posts/john-adams-meets-king-george-iii/">Adams recorded the historic moment in vivid detail</a>.</li></ul>

10 Things in Politics: Biden's Arizona election-audit problem

San Francisco, A day after it was disclosed that <keyword id="10474761" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="israeli-intelligence-firm-nso-group">Israeli intelligence firm NSO Group</keyword> hacked iPhones of 36 <keyword id="2068899" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Al-Jazeera-journalists">Al Jazeera journalists</keyword>, top tech giants like <keyword id="10387" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> <keyword id="6355629" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword>, Cisco, VMware and the Internet Association filed an amicus brief in a legal case brought by Facebook-owned <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> against the NSO Group. The NSO Group is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Facebook, which last year accused that the Israeli spyware maker used Pegasus in WhatsApp to infect some 1,400 people, mostly celebrities, journalists and human rights activists. Facebook has submitted detailed proof in the court about the Israeli company and the allegedly hacking into at least 1,400 WhatsApp users via its controversial surveillance software. Tom Burt, Corporate Vice President, <keyword id="10474762" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="customer-security">Customer Security</keyword> and Trust at Microsoft, said late on Monday that the NSO Group's business model is dangerous. "One of these 21st-century mercenaries, called the NSO Group, is attempting to cloak itself in the legal immunity afforded its government customers, which would shield it from accountability when its weapons inflict harm on innocent people and businesses," he emphasised. Burt said that private companies should remain subject to liability when they use their cyber-surveillance tools to break the law, or knowingly permit their use for such purposes, regardless of who their customers are or what they're trying to achieve. "That's why today we filed an amicus brief  along with Cisco, GitHub, Google, LinkedIn, VMWare and the Internet Association  in a legal case brought by WhatsApp against the NSO Group," he said. "We hope that standing together with our competitors today through this amicus brief will help protect our collective customers and global digital ecosystem from more indiscriminate attacks". Researchers from Canada-based Citizen Lab have revealed that the Pegasus spyware compromised iPhones of dozens of journalists. In July and August this year, government operatives used NSO Group's Pegasus spyware to hack 36 personal phones belonging to journalists, producers, anchors, and executives at Al Jazeera. The personal phone of a journalist at London-based Al Araby TV was also hacked, said researchers in a report that came out on Sunday. The NSO Group sold Pegasus to governments, which could be installed on a device simply by calling the device via WhatsApp and the device's owner did not even have to answer. "Even if the tools are sold to governments who use them for narrowly targeted attacks, there are a variety of ways they can still fall into the wrong hands," said Burt. According to him, private-sector companies creating these weapons are not subject to the same constraints as governments. "Private actors like the NSO Group are only incented to keep these vulnerabilities to themselves so they can profit from them, and the exploits they create are constantly recycled by governments and cybercriminals once they get into the wild". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-spicejet-interglobe-aviation-tata-motors-pfizer-asian-paints-niit-lupin-and-others/articleshow/79849749.cms">Top stocks to watch – SpiceJet, InterGlobe Aviation, Tata Motors, Pfizer, Asian Paints, NIIT, Lupin, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-to-check-mrs-bectors-food-specialities-ipo-allotment-status-online/articleshow/79808672.cms?upcache=2">Mrs Bectors Food Specialities IPO allotment today: Here’s how to check share allotment status</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/google-microsoft-invest-in-dailyhunt-for-its-short-video-platform-josh-making-it-the-latest-unicorn-in-india/articleshow/79850804.cms">Google, Microsoft invest in DailyHunt for its short video platform Josh – making it the latest unicorn in India</a>

Microsoft, Google and other top tech firms join hands to help WhatsApp against NSO's Pegasus spyware

Editor's Note: Earlier this morning, we inadvertently sent an email intended for new <keyword id="11894123" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="newsletter" source="Orion">newsletter</keyword> subscribers. We apologize for the confusion. Here is today's newsletter:Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>. <ul><li>The best Cyber Monday deal: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=2021-Q4-Subscriptions&amp;utm_term=BFCMSale_Newslettersedit&amp;utm_content=2021BlackFriday_Newslettersedit">Sign up today and become an Insider</a> for our lowest annual subscription rate ever — just $38 for full access to everything we offer.</li></ul>Here's what we're talking about:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-guidance-trick-or-treat-celebrate-halloween-covid-coronavirus-mask-2021-10"></a><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-fifth-wave-omicron-threat-looms-2021-11">Fauci says the US could experience a fifth wave in COVID-19 infections as new Omicron variant looms</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mtg-says-never-apologize-to-islamic-terrorist-sympathizers-2021-11">Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called some Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, 'Islamic terrorist sympathizers'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-friday-2021-sales-stats-performance-online-in-store-2021-11">Black Friday shopping failed to reach pre-pandemic levels</a></li></ul>1. THE PANDEMIC: Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that the US might enter a fifth COVID-19 wave as the threat of the new Omicron variant looms. He and other top health officials have also said that the Omicron variant, which was first detected in southern Africa, may already be in the US. Fauci stressed that Americans should continue to get their COVID-19 shots and booster vaccines.<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-coronavirus-variant-canada-says-found-north-america-first-cases-2021-11">Canada recorded North America's first cases of the Omicron variant</a> on Sunday. They were found in two people in Ottawa, Ontario, who had recently visited Nigeria, health officials said.</li></ul>Here's what we know about Omicron and what we still need to learn:It has a "record" number of mutations: National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins told "Fox News Sunday" that this fact "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-variant-has-a-record-number-of-mutations-nih-director-2021-11">does make you worry, therefore, that it's a sufficiently different virus."</a><ul><li>This gets at one of the biggest current unknowns: It's not clear how effective current vaccines are against the variant. But drugmakers have plans in the works if Omicron does prove to be resistant against current shots. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-update-100-days-omicron-variant-resistant-2021-11">Pfizer has said it could have a reworked vaccine ready in 100 days. </a></li><li>The other major unknown is how easily Omicron spreads: <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1106672">The World Health Organization said it's too early</a> to say if the new variant spreads more easily than the Delta variant, the latter of which has upended many carefully-laid pandemic plans.</li></ul>White House says the best step is to get vaccinated: Health officials held a call with South African scientists on Sunday to review the latest data, The Washington Post reports. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/11/28/omicron-variant-coronavirus/">Officials are expected to continue to push already-vaccinated Americans to get their booster shots.</a><ul><li>Other parts of the world are locking down: Japan and Israel have both closed off their borders to foreign travelers, Reuters reports. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/spread-omicron-variant-forces-nations-rethink-plans-global-travel-2021-11-29/">Read more about the global reaction.</a> </li></ul>Meanwhile, South Africa feels it has been unfairly targeted: "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-africa-says-it-is-being-punished-detecting-omicron-variant-2021-11">This latest round of travel bans is akin to punishing South Africa</a> for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker," South Africa's foreign ministry said in a statement over the weekend.2. How a Confederate-history-rich town is responding to the critical race theory fight: School-board meetings are now academic battlegrounds, but in Winchester, Virginia, an Insider reporter found a town trying hard to teach about racial equity. Winchester earned the nickname "the shuttlecock of the Confederacy" because it was the most contested town during the Civil War. By contrast, the dominant theme at the meeting at John Kerr Elementary School was equity. No one there argued that schools were "indoctrinating" children. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/critical-race-theory-protests-winchester-virginia-school-board-meeting-2021-11">Read more about how this Virginia town is avoiding heated culture wars.</a>3. Congress returns to looming deadlines: Lawmakers return from their Thanksgiving break for a four-week sprint where they will need to avoid defaulting on debt and pass the yearly authorization of nearly a trillion dollars of defense programs, The Washington Post reports. The most urgent need is to avoid a government shutdown by December 3. Democratic leaders are also pushing the party to finish work on Biden's massive social spending plan, with senators expected to pass a bill far different from House Democrats' nearly $2 trillion legislation. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/11/28/congress-shutdown-debt-ceiling-reconciliation/">More on Congress' frenetic year-end schedule.</a>4. A notorious stock-market bear warns of trouble ahead: John Hussman, who predicted the dot-com bubble, says indicators of a stock market peak are beyond the famous 2000s tech-stock plunge. "I've never observed as many historical indications of a market peak occurring simultaneously," Hussman said. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-crash-bubble-expert-warns-indicators-deteriorating-valuations-hussman-2021-11">Read more about the indicators that Hussman says shows the market has reached its peak.</a>5. Supreme Court to hear major abortion case this week: Justices will hear arguments on Wednesday about a Mississippi law that amounts to a full-frontal challenge of Roe v. Wade, the Associated Press reports. The Mississippi law "would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, well before viability," which is something previous courts have never allowed. In fact, the Supreme Court "had never before even agreed to hear a case over a pre-viability abortion ban." <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-supreme-court-voting-rights-samuel-alito-07ecdb3661032c4c6ececd4d07c70655">Here's what court watchers are looking for as justices consider a potentially monumental decision.</a><div type="image" title="A crowded mall on Black Friday 2021." height="1231" width="1647" msid="87980975" hostid="261"></div>6. Black Friday shopping fails to reach pre-pandemic levels: Early data shows a mixed review for the traditional kick-off to the holiday shopping season. Though retailers made some gains — including in areas like in-store traffic and mobile sales — data shows the industry is still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels. The findings also indicate a shift in consumer spending patterns, such as starting shopping earlier in the season and taking advantage of newer services like buy-now-pay-later. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-friday-2021-sales-stats-performance-online-in-store-2021-11">More on the key takeaways from Black Friday reports.</a>7. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene calls some Democratic lawmakers "Islamic terrorist sympathizers": Greene attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar, saying the Minnesota Democrat and some of her colleagues were undeserving of an apology because they are "Islamic terrorist sympathizers" and "communists." Greene's comments come after Rep. Lauren Boebert apologized for implying that Omar was a terrorist. Some Republicans — including Rep. Adam Kinzinger – and Democrats had called out Boebert for her remarks. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mtg-says-never-apologize-to-islamic-terrorist-sympathizers-2021-11">More on the situation.</a>8. Matthew McConaughey rules out Texas gubernatorial campaign: McConaughey said he is choosing not to enter <keyword id="11893346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics" source="Orion">politics</keyword> "at this moment" after publicly contemplating a run. The Academy Award winner added that "we got to start shining a light on our shared values, the ones that cross party lines." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matthew-mcconaughey-says-hes-not-running-for-texas-governor-2021-11">Read McConaughey's entire statement on his decision and what he wants to do next.</a>9. Fauci said Republican attacks against him are "nonsense": "I have to laugh at that. I should be prosecuted? What happened on January 6, Senator?" Fauci told CBS of Sen. Ted Cruz's previous suggestion that the infectious-diseases expert should be prosecuted for claims that he lied about gain-of-function research. Fauci added that he views attacks from the likes of Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul as nothing more than "nonsense" and "noise." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-laugh-when-cruz-said-he-should-be-prosecuted-2021-11">More from the interview.</a><div type="image" title="Women shop at a Goodwill store in Boulder, Colorado." height="2191" width="2921" msid="87980976" hostid="261"></div>10. The supply chain crisis is changing how people view used goods: Executives at AptDeco and Fernish, two companies that rent or sell furniture through a circular business model, told Insider that the secondhand economy's growing popularity is really about shifting consumer attitudes toward used products. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supply-chain-crisis-impact-on-thrifting-resale-secondhand-holiday-shopping-2021-11">More on the trend.</a>Today's trivia question: Who was the first president to set up a Christmas tree inside the White House? Email your answer and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>The latest answer: President Calvin Coolidge was gifted a raccoon for a Thanksgiving meal <a href="https://www.history.com/news/the-thanksgiving-raccoon-that-became-a-presidential-pet">but decided to spare the animal, who later became a beloved pet.</a></li></ul>

10 Things in Politics: Fauci says the US should prep for new variant

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Eric GaillardA French police officer stands guard by the Eiffel tower a week after a series of deadly attacks in the French capital Paris, France, November 22, 2015.</div></div></div>Good morning! Here are the 10 things you need to know in markets on Monday.Belgium says it faces a serious and imminent threat of a Paris-style attack and is keeping Brussels on maximum alert on Monday as security forces searched for militants thought to be at large in the capital. Prime Minister Charles Michel, speaking after a meeting of security chiefs called to review the threat status, said <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/we-fear-an-attack-similar-to-the-one-in-paris-brussels-will-remain-on-high-alert-into-monday-2015-11">the capital's metro, universities, and schools would be closed on Monday</a>.David Cameron will on Monday pledge an extra £12 billion ($18.2 billion) of spending strengthening Britain's defences against Isis and Russia, but the bill will be met by spending cuts elsewhere, with police, welfare, and business grants in the line of fire. <a href="https://next.ft.com/content/afc47f70-9137-11e5-bd82-c1fb87bef7af">The Financial Times reports</a> that the Prime Minister will set out a five-year defence review with a focus on tackling Isis, including a 30% increase in the counter-terrorism budget, £2 billion ($3 billion) on special forces, and a new emphasis on cyber defences.It's PMI day in Europe. Growth readings for manufacturing, the service sector, and the whole economy are due for France, Germany, and the Eurozone between 8.00 a.m. GMT (3.oo a.m. ET) and 9.00 a.m. (4.00 a.m.).Britain's "woefully inadequate" anti-money laundering system has left the country wide open to corrupt money and terrorism funds and needs radical overhaul, a leading anti-corruption group said on Monday. Each year billions of pounds of dirty money flow through Britain, but the system for identifying it is too fragmented and unaccountable to be effective, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-inadequate-dirty-money-regulation-leaves-uk-open-to-terror-funds-report-2015-11">according to a report by Transparency International UK (TI-UK)</a>.Asian markets are muted. Japan's Nikkei is up 0.10% at time of writing (6.30 a.m. GMT/1.30 a.m. ET), the Hong Kong Hang Seng is down 0.33%, and the Shanghai Composite is down 0.37%.Crude oil futures lost ground on Monday in early Asian trading, as the global supply surplus pressured prices, but a cut in the number of U.S. oil rigs for an 11th week in the last 12 limited the falls. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-oil-declines-on-supply-glut-cut-in-us-oil-rigs-caps-falls-2015-11">Benchmark front-month Brent futures for January fell 16 cents, or 0.36%, to $44.50 (£29.33) a barrel</a>, after ending up 48 cents at $44.66 (£29.43) a barrel on Friday.US hedge fund Third Point has built a large short position in British supermarket Morrisons. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/12008622/US-hedge-fund-places-a-20m-bet-against-Morrisons.html">The Telegraph reports</a> that the activist hedge fund run by American billionaire Daniel Loeb has a bet against Morrisons worth almost £20 million ($30.3 million), or more than 0.5% of the company's market value.Pfizer was due to secure formal board approval on Sunday for its acquisition of Botox maker Allergan more than $150 billion (£98.8 billion), creating the world's biggest drug maker, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal is <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-pfizer-and-allergan-to-approve-merger-agreement-on-sunday-sources-2015-11">likely to anger politicians in a US presidential election year</a> because Pfizer would redomicile to Ireland, where Allergan is registered, in a so-called "inversion" that would slash its corporate tax rate.A tiny Swiss bank specialised in financing social and environmental projects will on January 1 go where no retail lender has gone before, applying negative interest rates on individual clients. The Alternative Bank Schweiz (ABS) caused shockwaves with a letter sent to all clients in mid-October informing them that it <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/afp-swiss-alternative-bank-breaks-negative-rates-taboo-2015-11">would begin imposing interest charges on deposits in 2016</a>.Shares in Guotai Junan International dived Monday after the major Chinese brokerage said it could not find its Hong Kong chief, at a time when Beijing is targeting the financial sector in an anti-graft campaign. Shares in the Hong Kong-listed firm, a subsidiary of Guotai Junan Securities, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-shares-in-chinese-brokerage-slump-as-chief-goes-missing-2015-11">dropped more than 15% at one point</a> after the company said it had not been able to locate its chairman Yim Fung since Wednesday. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/most-interesting-men-world-watches-rolex-breitling-jorg-gray-2015-8">These are the watches worn by the smartest and most powerful men in the world</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="N3NGJ0djpb_DdQzkXVopAvbq5AmmiuOx" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

10 things you need to know in markets today

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>French drugmaker <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/sanofi">Sanofi</a> recently appointed Chief Medical Officer <a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/about-us/governance/executive-committee/ameet-nathwani-md">Ameet Nathwani</a> as its chief digital officer.</li><li>The pharma industry is increasingly hiring chief digital officers as it seeks to make better use of technologies like artificial intelligence in its business.</li><li>But Nathwani says that the pharmaceutical industry also needs to be on high alert around issues of bias, privacy, and cybersecurity, "because this black box scenario isn't going to be sustainable."</li><li>Nathwani told Business Insider Sanofi has developed policies as part of that, including establishing oversight of the tech and putting checks in place. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary">Click here for more BI Prime stories.</a></li></ul>As French drugmaker <a href="https://www.sanofi.com/">Sanofi's</a> new chief digital officer, <a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/about-us/governance/executive-committee/ameet-nathwani-md">Ameet Nathwani</a> thinks tech like AI could help solve some of the healthcare system's biggest problems. Also top of mind for Nathwani: how it all could go wrong.The pharmaceutical industry has to make sure "we develop trust for the patient and physician, because this black box scenario isn't going to be sustainable," Nathwani told Business Insider during a phone interview last month. Safeguarding against biases, privacy problems and cyberattacks are wrapped up in that, Nathwani said. That's spurred Sanofi to develop policies around the use of AI, to ensure digital tech is built and tested as carefully and rigorously as traditional medicines.Never miss out on healthcare news. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/health-insider">Subscribe to Dispensed</a>, our weekly newsletter on pharma, biotech, and healthcare.A physician who's worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 25 years, Nathwani was already Sanofi's chief medical officer when he was appointed chief digital officer <a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2019/2019-02-12-07-00-00">in February.</a> The position has become an emerging trend among big pharma companies like <a href="https://investors.pfizer.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2018/Pfizer-Announces-Executive-Leadership-Team/default.aspx">Pfizer</a> and <a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/karenann-terrell-appointed-chief-digital-technology-officer-gsk/">GlaxoSmithKline</a>."It's evolved at a remarkable pace," <a href="https://www.wittkieffer.com/consultant/nathaniel-hook/">Nathaniel Hook</a>, managing director of global life sciences at the executive search firm WittKieffer, told Business Insider. "If you asked me five years ago, it was almost unheard of. Now I think the majority of pharma companies have hired a CDO type."Tech has become a new priority at pharmaceutical companies as the sector moves towards more personalized drugs that treat <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bridgebio-neil-kumar-on-building-a-new-biotech-model-2019-6">smaller groups of patients</a>, driving a need for cost-effective technological tools, Hook said. Pharma companies are hiring chief digital officers to lead digital marketing, spearhead machine learning and AI in their drug research and development, and bring tech to streamline areas like supply chain operations. Nathwani's medical background means he's not the classic pick for chief digital officer, but it's also given him a unique perspective on how to develop drugs in a digital age, he told Business Insider. A digital health revolution going on today is giving patients new perspectives on their health through <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dna-testing-delete-your-data-23andme-ancestry-2018-7">DNA testing</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ios-13-update-brings-new-health-features-to-iphone-2019-7">personal technology</a> like the Apple Watch and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dexcom-us-layoffs-concern-people-with-diabetes-cgm-2019-2">connected medical equipment such as glucose monitors for people with diabetes</a>. Nathwani said his goal is to create new business opportunities there.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pharmaceutical-companies-novartis-sanofi-starting-think-beyond-drugs-digital-apps-2019-2">Pharma giants like Novartis and Sanofi are betting that the future of healthcare looks more like an app or sensor than a prescription</a>So in addition to selling traditional medications like insulin for individuals with diabetes, Sanofi is now also investing in digital offerings. That includes products to complement existing medications, an approach it calls "drugs plus," and digital therapies that could actually treat patients on their own. <h2>Harnessing the addictiveness of gaming to treat depression and anxiety</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Could an app treat conditions like depression and anxiety?That's the question being asked by a new pilot program from Sanofi and the mental-health startup <a href="https://www.happify.com/">Happify.</a> Led by two entrepreneurs whose previous venture was a gaming company, Happify makes an online platform geared at improving symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression through behavior change. The tech could have applications in depression and many other diseases that are long-term and often accompanied by depression, Nathwani said. Ultimately, the hope is that the tech could lead to better outcomes for patients who have both mental and physical illnesses.In the pilot, the companies are testing the startup's technology in individuals living with multiple sclerosis. The hope is to address their depression as well as multiple sclerosis symptoms like fatigue and difficulty with movement. "What we're looking to say is: Can we manage depression in a formal way by creating a describable digital therapeutic," he said, "and will the underlying condition also improve?""If they both improve, that's a pretty compelling story," Nathwani said. He said that other promising areas for this technology include heart conditions, metabolic diseases like diabetes, pain, weight management, and insomnia.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mental-health-barriers-startups-venture-evidence-2019-6">VCs in the hottest part of healthcare explain why the time is ripe for a mental health funding boom</a><h2>The promise and perils of AI</h2>AI technology allows the Happify pilot and other digital therapeutics to deliver customized advice and feedback to users. And more broadly, AI tech has taken off in the pharmaceutical industry, where it's being used to discover and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recursion-pharma-ceo-chris-gibson-on-ai-finding-new-drugs-2019-7">develop promising new drugs</a> and change how medications <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gv-life-sciences-leaders-on-investing-in-pharma-clinical-trials-2019-7">are tested out</a>. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recursion-pharma-ceo-chris-gibson-on-ai-finding-new-drugs-2019-7">A startup using AI to find new treatments for rare diseases just raised $121 million. Here's why its CEO still has a dire prediction for the industry.</a>But the technology also brings up major issues, including the potential for discrimination. The US Food and Drug Administration said in April that it's starting to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/software-medical-device-samd/artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning-software-medical-device">look at regulating the tech</a>, but a policy could take some time to emerge. Bias can seep into tech in a variety of ways, including through discrepancies in the data that's used to train AI models and via programmers, who may have their own prejudices. Cybersecurity and privacy are also concerns in an era when cyber-attackers are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-merck-cyber-attack-may-cost-insurers-275-million-verisks-pcs-2017-10">increasingly targeting</a> healthcare companies.That's why Sanofi is working on a policy for AI that outlines how it's overseen and puts checks in place, like a ledger that tracks source data and how the tech is developed from it.Nathwani compared the policies to the "<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/pharmaceutical-quality-resources/facts-about-current-good-manufacturing-practices-cgmps">good manufacturing practices</a>" that drugmakers have to follow so that their products are safe to sell. The 21st century version, in his view: a "good digital practice." In the same way that drugmakers know exactly what goes into traditional drugs, "we have to have the ingredients of digital drugs as well," Nathwani said. "We don't want to get into an issue of an algorithm causing harm which we can't then track back" to how it was developed.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gv-life-sciences-leaders-on-investing-in-pharma-clinical-trials-2019-7">2 top leaders at Google's $4.5 billion venture arm want to transform how new drugs get made to boost their entire portfolio</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cancer-researcher-jim-allisons-career-advice-for-young-scientists-2019-7">A scientist who won the Nobel Prize for revolutionizing how we treat cancer says young scientists shouldn't set out to cure the disease</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biotech-stocks-to-invest-in-eli-casdin-of-casdin-capital-2019-6">A top investor who cashed in on recent $8 billion and $5 billion biotech takeovers earlier this year told us he's looking beyond the 'sexy' parts of healthcare as he places his next bets</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cvs-lawsuit-against-former-executive-joining-amazons-pillpack-2019-6">We just got the first look at how Amazon's $750 million acquisition of PillPack could upend the US healthcare system</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/digital-health?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=health&amp;itm_campaign=digital-health"></a>

Using apps to treat diseases could be the future of healthcare. The first chief digital officer at pharma giant Sanofi told us his strategy for navigating the promises and pitfalls.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesFacebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> and <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword> industries will continue to see seismic changes in 2019, according to a new report by market research firm Forrester.</li><li>AT&amp;T will buy Roku and Google will acquire LiveRamp in 2019, Forrester predicts.</li><li>Additionally, blockchain will become increasingly mainstream, and hyper-targeting will give way to contextual creative, the report says.</li></ul> From a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-comcast-demonstrates-sky-high-ambition-in-global-media-shake-up-2018-9">bevy of M&amp;A deals</a> and consolidation on one end, to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aleksandr-kogan-nonsense-that-facebook-data-breach-got-trump-elected-2018-4">Facebook's Cambridge-Analytica scandal</a> and GDPR on another, there were a lot of shake-ups in the advertising and media industries in 2018.2019 will continue that trend, according to a new report by market research firm Forrester, which predicts not only more M&amp;A action, but also trends like blockchain becoming more mainstream."We feel that there are specific events and trends that will take place in 2019 - specifically around further M&amp;A, blockchain introducing itself into advertising, creative supporting personalization and Facebook having to rely more heavily on Instagram and WhatsApp for growth," Collin Colburn, B2C marketing analyst at Forrester, told Business Insider.But on a macro level, the biggest battleground for media in 2019 will be control for digital advertising dollars, he said. Amazon, AT&amp;T, Verizon, and Disney have all made moves to counter the Facebook-Google duopoly, and will vie for their position with their technology stacks, distribution, and content capabilities."Google and Facebook will start to feel this competition in 2019, and we will be watching to see if cracks begin forming in the foundation of the empires they have both built," Colburn said.Here are the five events that will reshape media ad advertising in 2o19, according to Forrester:<h2>AT&amp;T will buy Roku to become a TV platform</h2>By snapping up Time Warner, AppNexus, and DirectTV, AT&amp;T pieced together the content, technology, and distribution pipes needed to challenge the duopoly as well as rival TV networks. But to truly become a viable threat, it needs to become a bigger part of consumers' daily lives. AT&amp;T will do that by acquiring Roku, Forrester predicts, as the acquisition will not only give it tremendous scale but also help it complement its new targeted advertising division, Xandr."Buying Roku is a natural next step for AT&amp;T after their acquisitions of Time Warner and AppNexus in 2018," Colburn said.<h2>Instagram and WhatsApp will save Facebook </h2>From the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-responds-to-cambridge-analytica-scandal">Cambridge Analytica</a> fiasco, to a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-hack-tinder-instagram-spotify-accounts-2018-9">cyber attack that impacted nearly 50 million</a> user accounts, Facebook battled a spate of brand crises in 2018, severely impacting its brand reputation.The platform isn't growing at the pace it once was either, with monthly active users (MAUs) being flat in the second quarter of 2018 in North America and falling in Europe, coupled with decelerated ad revenue growth. But the company can't be dismissed yet, according to Forrester, with Instagram quickly emerging as its shining star with more than 1 billion monthly active users and a user growth rate outpacing Facebook's."In 2019, we predict that Instagram will continue to pick up the slack while Facebook hones in on Messenger and WhatsApp to accelerate user and ad revenue growth for the parent company," the authors of the report write. "Messaging apps for one-on-one consumer interactions and advertising are still uncertain territory for brands but are increasing in interest - and Facebook will deliver."<h2>Blockchain will become mainstream in advertising</h2>From ads that get clicked on by bots, to hidden fees and an overall <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/procter-gamble-review-ad-agency-contracts-2017-1">lack of transparency,</a> the digital ad ecosystem has been under fire of late on a number of fronts. A number of big brands and marketers are attempting to fight that by betting on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blockchain-technology-cryptocurrency-explained-2017-8">blockchain</a>, the distributed ledger technology that underpins the cryptocurrency bitcoin. By the end of 2019, advertisers will be able to follow every dollar that leaves their coffers, Forrester predicts, and be able to see exactly how much they are paying, and for what, at every step of the way.Big brands like Kellogg's, Kimberly-Clark, Pfizer, and Unilever are already leading the way by participating in a blockchain pilot program powered by IBM and Media Ocean that aims to bring complete transparency to media-buying."Blockchain will make an important entrance in 2018, by exposing the value and costs of all the steps in the media supply chain," Colburn said. "But it will be a couple of years before blockchain is ready to make the impact that marketers are really looking for - impression-level reporting that will expose advertising fraud."<h2>Hyper-targeting will give way to hyper-focus on creative</h2>The rollout of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marketers-are-still-getting-nightmares-about-gdpr-europe-consumer-privacy-law-2018-10">GDPR</a> sent many advertisers scrambling, casting a shadow on a future where they could hyper-target media, especially those brands lacking in first-party customer data.But as the use of consumer data comes under increasing scrutiny, the focus, at least for advertisers, will turn back to powerful creative, according to Forrester.In 2019, advertisers will start turning to creative adtech vendors like RevJet and Thunder to create contextually relevant ads cued by both first-party data, as well as data around the weather, time of day, and live events. Creative adtech will also improve ad quality and cross-channel storytelling. More brands will refrain from stalking consumers around the internet with cheap-looking, product-focused display ads, according to Forrester. "Despite what marketers and advertisers think, the media industry isn't nearly as customer-obsessed as it could be," Colburn said. "I am most bullish on advertisers trading in their hyper-targeting obsession for a hyper-focus on creative in advertising - it will improve both the customer experience and overall results."<h2>A bidding war will break out for LiveRamp, and Google will take the cake</h2>Several players - from Adobe and Salesforce to ad holding companies - have had their eyes on LiveRamp since Axciom's data marketing services were acquired by IPG. The competition is only going to heat up more, with a huge bidding war breaking out for LiveRamp, according to Forrester.Forrester thinks the ultimate winner at the end though will be Google, which will outbid everyone with its trove of cash, making LiveRamp's data available for customers using its newly branded and consolidated adtech stack, Google Marketing Platform."With these acquisitions, the big keep getting bigger," Colburn said. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-when-you-dont-get-enough-sleep-2017-12">A sleep expert explains what happens to your body and brain if you don't get enough sleep</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

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