A senior FBI cybersecurity official has revealed foreign government hackers have broken into institutions conducting research into treatments for COVID-19.

Deputy Assistant Director Tonya Ugoretz told an online panel discussion hosted by the Aspen Institute that the bureau had seen state-backed hackers poking around the US healthcare sector as well.

"We certainly have seen reconnaissance activity, and some intrusions, into some of those institutions, especially those that have publicly identified themselves as working on COVID-related research," she said.