Google Issues 50,000+ Warnings to Customers About State-Sponsored Attacks

So far in 2021, Google has observed a 33 percent increase in nation-state attempts to compromise its clients, according to the internet giant.

According to security engineer Ajax Bash, Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has sent over 50,000 notifications to users that their account has been the subject of government-backed phishing or malware attempts in the past year.

An “unusually massive” campaign ascribed to the notorious Kremlin-backed actor known as Fancy Bear was the main cause for the spike in attacks (APT28). “We deliver these alerts in batches to all users who may be at risk, rather than when we discover the threat,” Bash added, “so that attackers cannot follow our defense measures.”

“On any given day, TAG monitors over 270 targeted or government-backed attacker groups from over 50 nations.” This suggests that the warnings are usually the result of multiple threat actors.”

Microsoft said it had sent roughly 20,000 alerts about nation-state threats in the last three years, significantly fewer than Google. For nearly a decade, Google has been issuing these warnings, and it has an Advanced Protection Program for anyone who fears they may be a serious target, such as journalists and human rights advocates.