Hacking threat? Tech giant Google issues global Gmail alert after hackers target security team
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For representational purpose only Photograph: (Pexels)
As per Google’s Threat Intelligence team, approximately 37% of account hijackings across its platforms now originate from phishing and social engineering attacks
Tech giant Google is facing an unusual ultimatum from a hacker collective that has demanded the firing of two of its cybersecurity leaders or risk a major data leak. The group, calling itself Scattered LapSus Hunters, claims ties to several well-known cybercrime outfits, including Scattered Spider, LapSus, and ShinyHunters. In a post, the hackers alleged that Google’s Threat Intelligence Group has been probing their networks, prompting their demand that the company remove the two executives. WION is withholding the names of the two employees over privacy concerns.
The threat comes shortly after Google confirmed that ShinyHunters had accessed data from Salesforce, a third-party service provider. While Google said there was no breach of its internal databases or consumer Gmail accounts, the attackers appear to be leveraging the incident for pressure. In response, Google issued a global security alert to its 2.5 billion Gmail users, urging them to reset passwords as a precaution. The breach did not expose passwords or private Gmail data, but it did include business contact information, which hackers are now exploiting in phishing and “vishing” (voice phishing) schemes.
According to Google’s Threat Intelligence team, 37% of account hijackings across its platforms now stem from phishing and social engineering attacks. Fraudsters are impersonating Google staff using the stolen contact details, sending convincing fake emails and in some cases even making phone calls to trick users into giving up credentials. Google has not responded directly to the demand regarding the two employees, but the company stressed in a recent blog post that its focus remains on “protecting users and strengthening defenses against evolving threats.”
