Google warns 1 million devices have been infected in ‘Russian hack’
Google is suing two Russian hackers allegedly behind Glupteba botnet, which the tech giant believes has infected 1 million devices.
Hacking
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Google has taken action against a major hacking operation that it thinks has infected more than one million devices.
The tech giant is coming down hard on the so-called Glupteba botnet, suing two Russians who are allegedly behind it, The Sun reported.
It’s a notorious piece of malware known for taking control of people’s Windows PCs.
Criminals can then steal people’s details and data, as well as using their machines to mine cryptocurrency.
At times the vicious attack was spreading at a rate of thousands of new devices per day.
Google said it has disrupted the operation by terminating about 63 million Google Docs detected sharing Glupteba, as well as more than 1100 Google Accounts and even 870 Google Ads.
But it warned the criminal masterminds running things have already taken steps to keep the network running.
“We understand and recognise the threats the internet faces, and we are doing our part to address them,” the firm pledged.
It’s the first time legal action has been launched against a blockchain enabled botnet.
The claim was filed to Southern District of New York, for computer fraud and abuse, and trademark infringement.
They also asked for a temporary restraining order.
Google hopes the move will put other cyber criminals off doing the same.
Though security experts have their doubts.
“It is rare that those behind such operations are ever caught so it is often best to fight such activities with preventative measures,” said Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist from the internet security firm ESET.
As ever with any computer, you should have antivirus software and run regular scans, as well as replacing default passwords with unique passwords.
This story first appeared on The Sun and has been republished here with permission
Originally published as Google warns 1 million devices have been infected in ‘Russian hack’
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