Tuesday, May 22nd

Last update:05:10:53 AM GMT

You are here: Law & Politics Government Gmail Phishing Nabs U.S. Officials’ Account Info
A large-scale Chinese phishing scheme has left hundreds of personal Gmail accounts – including those of some senior U.S. personnel – vulnerable to hackers.

While Gmail’s own security systems were not compromised according to Google, the cause of the widespread account hijackings are likely due to passwords stolen through the spread of malware transmitted via victims’ e-mails.

“The Department of Homeland Security is aware of Google's message to its customers,” said Chris Ortman, a spokesman for the agency, in a statement. “We are working with Google and our federal partners to review the matter, offer analysis of any malicious activity, and develop solutions to mitigate further risk.”

The attack is thought to have originated in Jinan, China. In addition to high-ranking U.S. officials, other targets included federal employees of multiple Asian countries, Chinese political activists, journalists and other influential figures. The incident led to Google ending its agreement with the Chinese government to censor search results, and the company has physically removed their servers out of the country.
The company encouraged users to “spend ten minutes today taking steps to improve your online security so that you can experience all that the Internet offers – while also protecting your data.”
Google has also provided several examples of how users can protect themselves from phishing and other hacker risks on its blog.


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