Report: Google password system attacked
Summary
Topics
Gaia, which allows users to sign in using their password once for a range of services, was compromised during a two-day attack last December, according to a New York Times report that cited a person with knowledge of an internal investigation. However, Gmail users' passwords do not appear to have been stolen, and the company quickly initiated security changes to its networks, according to the report.
The intrusion began when a Google employee in China clicked on a link sent in an instant message that took the employee to a corrupted Web site, which allowed access to the employee's personal computer and ultimately the computers used by a key group of software developers at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., according to the report.
Google first disclosed the theft of intellectual property in January when revealed that it and other businesses were the victims of "a highly sophisticated and targeted attack" aimed at gathering information about human rights activists. As a result of the theft, Google announced it no longer intended to censor search results in that country and would consider leaving entirely.
For more on this story, read Report: Google password system attacked on CNET News.
Talkback Most Recent of 6 Talkback(s)
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Don't worry
I've been assured that Google is safe by ZDnet blogs almost non-stop for two months. I've been told it's perfectly safe to put all my sensitive, important data into the cloud, because they're such a large and technically competent company that they will never get hacked. Could it be that Google is a ripe target because there's so much data from all over in once place? Imagine that.
crazydanr@...20th Apr 2010 -
I really don't worry...
About the competencies of google just the human
element. It was an employee that clicked a dodgy
link not the system itself. Until we can educate
and train high access staff then this problem will
never go away.
Parassassin20th Apr 2010 -
So we can stop worrying...
... when Google no longer employs humans.
LordLiverpool21st Apr 2010 -
PewPotato20th Apr 2010 -
RE: Report: Google password system attacked
gmail hacked again this week, google not responding to jhelp requests
rforgy@...20th Apr 2010 -
worrying is irrelevant
MULTIPLICITY is the key. Never keep all parts in one place. Single-use passwords is also helpful.
eddiequest23rd Apr 2010
Talkback - Tell Us What You Think
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