The same threat group is well-known for its sophisticated attack on the U.S. Democratic National Committee in 2016 and the hackers often employs advanced spear-phishing and custom malware campaigns (as reported in the New York Times). The Russian government has refuted the accusations.
Looking into the issue for Digital Journal is James Carder, who is the Chief Security Officer & Vice President at LogRhythm.
Carder says that the attack means that new measures are required and that “Securing COVID-19 research centers has become crucial as they are a target for nation-state threat actors seeking to benefit from the pandemic.”