Covid-19 vaccines, vaccine passports and fake negative test papers are currently available on the darknet, according to research from cybersecurity company Check Point.

The darknet is an overlay network within the internet that can only be accessed with specific software such as the Tor browser, with transactions generally being made via cryptocurrency.

It is commonly used for illegal activity such as trading drugs or child pornography but has also been used for political activism and co-ordination.

The American Israeli company’s research said prices range between £360 and £544 for AstraZeneca, Sputnik, Sinopharm or Johnson & Johnson jabs.

The research said the number of adverts has reached over 1,200 since they began monitoring markets in January 2021.

Checkpoint said sellers of vaccines appeared to be from the US, UK, Spain, Germany, France and Russia.

Fake Vaccination passports and papers were also available on the darknet, as this type of documentation is becoming a requirement for international travel.

The news comes after the EU has announced plans for a "Green Digital Certificate".
This would enable anyone who has had a Covid-19 vaccine, tested negative, or recently recovered from the virus to travel within the EU.

Check Point advised governments to adopt a QR code system to make forging vaccine documents more difficult.

Not all products offered on the darknet are “legitimate” offers, and there are numerous examples of assassination attempts being purchased but not being carried out, with cybercriminals keeping the money.

Oded Vanunu, head of product vulnerabilities research at Check Point said: "It's imperative for people to understand that attempting to obtain a vaccine, a vaccination card or negative Covid-19 test result by unofficial means is extremely risky, as hackers are more interested in your money, information and identity for exploitation."

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