Google revealed on Tuesday that it helped block the threat of a cybercrime network by controlling nearly a million electronic devices with which cybercrimes were committed, while pointing out hackers operating from Russia to be responsible.
The so-called ‘botnet’ of infected devices known as Glupteba, which was also used to surreptitiously mine cryptocurrencies, was cut off at least for now from the pirates who controlled it, the tech giant announced.
“Glupteba operators are possibly trying to regain control of the malicious network using control and backup mechanisms,” according to Shane Huntley and Luca Nagy, online threat and cybersecurity analysts at Google.
Large technology companies such as Google and Microsoft are increasingly actively involved in fighting cybercrime through their online products, which is why these companies have the greatest understanding, access, and responsiveness to threats. .
Google noted that the malicious network included approximately one million devices using Windows around the world to commit attacks such as theft of information and credentials, targeting users in the United States, India, Brazil, and Southeast Asia.
The Mountain View giant also filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York against Dmitry Starovikov and Alexander Filippov seeking a court order preventing them from using their platforms maliciously or criminally.
– Data hijacking –
Cybersecurity experts reported for the first time the existence of Glupteba in 2011, which spreads by posing as free downloadable software, videos, or movies that Internet users unintentionally download onto their electronic devices.
However, unlike conventional botnets that rely on predetermined channels to ensure their survival, Glupteba is programmed to find replacement servers and manages to continue operating even after an attack, according to Google.
Because this malicious network uses around a million devices, it has unusual power that can be used for large-scale attacks. from ‘ransomware’, a form of data hijacking that blocks access to information until a reward is paid to hackers.
To keep the pirate network running, the attackers “They use Google to post job offers on different websites.”
Hackers have also used Google services to distribute malicious software: the Internet giant removed some 63 million documents from its Google Docs network and canceled 1,100 email accounts used to spread the Glupteba network.
‘Botnets’ can “recover more quickly from outages or interruptions by making it much more difficult to remove them from the Internet. We are working very closely with the industry and the government, while we combat these types of attacks, “Google posted on its blog.
With information from AFP
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