Google Warns Gmail Users About State-Sponsored Attacks

[exfileme]

One week after the discovery of Flame, Google has announced it will alert Gmail users about possible state-sponsored threats to their accounts.

Google Warns Gmail Users About State-Sponsored Attacks : Read more

 

[dalethepcman]

So Google is warning you via Email, that a government is trying to access your email? Does "The cake is a lie" mean anything to you?

If your email is being hacked at by a government team, then you probably shouldn't log onto email as your computers/phones are most likely already compromised. Then again if the government is going to that much effort to read your emails, your already Eff'd so it doesn't really matter...

 

[milktea]

The new age in Cyber Crime. We're not attacked by individuals, but from a nation. That's some scary stuff.

 

[JasonAkkerman]

I didn't know there was a Google Authenticator. Very cool. Makes me feel better about all the on my Google Drive.

 

[TeraMedia]

The question is, which government? By mentioning Flame(r) and Stuxnet, Kevin is inadvertently implicating the US and/or Israel. But we also know that from past experience the Chinese gov't has successfully hacked Gmail accounts of political activists and various other individuals. Personally, I don't care if either gov't hacks my gmail account because there's nothing there worth reading, much less stealing or using. They can have-at-it. Just don't ask me to pay taxes to cover the expense. Publicly, this is scary. If they can hack your account, then they can also impersonate you. And if they can do that, then they can also implicate you. I don't fear the government, but I sure-as-hell think it is important to be cautious about the people that work there. "Enemy of the State" wasn't about the government so much as about some bad actors (the characters, not the people playing them) working for that government. Where's that tinfoil hat when you need it?

 

[willard]

[citation][nom]dalethepcman[/nom]If your email is being hacked at by a government team, then you probably shouldn't log onto email as your computers/phones are most likely already compromised. Then again if the government is going to that much effort to read your emails, your already Eff'd so it doesn't really matter...[/citation]
This isn't the movies, governments are not all powerful. They don't have some magic software that lets them into secured accounts, they have to compromise them the same way every other hacker does. Strong passwords, two stage authentication and a good virus scanner are no less effective just because the attacker happens to be the government.

 

[COLGeek]

Welcome to the 21st century and the unintended consequences of a connected world and cyber-ism.

 

[f-14]

[citation][nom]willard[/nom]This isn't the movies, governments are not all powerful. They don't have some magic software that lets them into secured accounts, they have to compromise them the same way every other hacker does. Strong passwords, two stage authentication and a good virus scanner are no less effective just because the attacker happens to be the government.[/citation]
you obviously have not paying attention to what america, the u.k., china and north korea do, let alone egypt saudi arabia or other middle eastern countries.

When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.
Thomas Jefferson

 

[willard]

[citation][nom]f-14[/nom]you obviously have not paying attention to what america, the u.k., china and north korea do, let alone egypt saudi arabia or other middle eastern countries.[/citation]
Where did I say they weren't trying to do this? I said that the government isn't magic. They still need to compromise the account the same as everybody else. Making the account more secure helps to prevent this.

What's so confusing about that?

 

[f-14]

forgot to add
atleast the american government made a law that allows them to, they just walk up to the company you're dealing with wave NDAA or some copy right law in their face and say " little pig little pig let me in" and if they refuse they get blown away much the same as megaupload was.

btw the cloud sucks, gaming server has been offline all day.
if this was a corporation i worked for it would have cost them 80 million dollars just in sales by now. other wise just 8 million dollars in employee costs alone.

 

[TeraMedia]

@willard:

They still need to compromise the account the same as everybody else.

The difference is that while organized crime might have at most a few million dollars to throw at a highly lucrative target, a nation state has potentially billions. You can do an awful lot more with billions of dollars than you can with millions. For example, you can afford a supercomputer to crack encrypted data. You can employ a full-time team of hackers to develop hacking and cracking tools.

What I'm really curious about is that MSFT seems to have known about one of the holes in Windows that Flame exploited to install malware. Was there any influence to not plug that hole?

 

[willard]

[citation][nom]TeraMedia[/nom]@willard: The difference is that while organized crime might have at most a few million dollars to throw at a highly lucrative target, a nation state has potentially billions. You can do an awful lot more with billions of dollars than you can with millions.[/citation]
A perfectly valid point, but it's still not magic.

For example, you can afford a supercomputer to crack encrypted data.

Still have to steal the data first, which requires breaking into servers the old fashioned way.

You can employ a full-time team of hackers to develop hacking and cracking tools.

Which is exactly what I said, they've got to do it the old fashioned way. I'm not disputing that the government can hack into computers and accounts, I'm just saying that the same measures that are good against your run of the mill hacker is also good against the government. They are doing the exact same things, and putting up roadblocks is always a good idea.

What I'm really curious about is that MSFT seems to have known about one of the holes in Windows that Flame exploited to install malware. Was there any influence to not plug that hole?

Conspiracy theory nonsense. There is no evidence whatsoever that Microsoft knew about the vulnerability beforehand. It was discovered afterward when analyzing the attack vector (Flame), and Microsoft immediately came forward and began patching the hole.

None of that points to complicity on behalf of Microsoft.

 

[eddieroolz]

Never mind the fact that biggest threat is Google itself, but sure...

 

[gm0n3y]

It seems like the US is trying to avoid a physical war with Iran by trying to sabotage their nuclear ambitions through cyber-espionage. Probably a smart move as the public won't tolerate another war until at least 2020, probably closer to 2030.

 

[thecolorblue]

Well at we do know that this is not about US Govt attacks because the US Govt has and does duplicate ALL content in free cloud-based mail accounts such as:

gmail, hotmail, yahoo mail, facebook mail, etc. etc. etc.

as of 9-11... the NSA has your mail already... so this warning must be about other govts... but really, since one of the most oppressive and rights-violating govts in the world has your mail already (USA)... they why do you care if the UK or China gets it too?

seems like a misdirection by google to me in order to make you feel like google cares about your privacy

 

[thecolorblue]

[citation][nom]TeraMedia[/nom]The question is, which government? By mentioning Flame(r) and Stuxnet, Kevin is inadvertently implicating the US and/or Israel. But we also know that from past experience the Chinese gov't has successfully hacked Gmail accounts of political activists and various other individuals. Personally, I don't care if either gov't hacks my gmail account because there's nothing there worth reading, much less stealing or using. They can have-at-it. Just don't ask me to pay taxes to cover the expense. Publicly, this is scary. If they can hack your account, then they can also impersonate you. And if they can do that, then they can also implicate you. I don't fear the government, but I sure-as-hell think it is important to be cautious about the people that work there. "Enemy of the State" wasn't about the government so much as about some bad actors (the characters, not the people playing them) working for that government. Where's that tinfoil hat when you need it?[/citation]

those who would willfully surrender their civil liberties deserve none
... and get with the program, the US already has your emails. May I suggest getting your news from a non-corporate source in the future... this is old news and you should have known better by now, everyone should.

www.democracynow.org

 

[thecolorblue]

[citation][nom]f-14[/nom]forgot to addatleast the american government made a law that allows them to, they just walk up to the company you're dealing with wave NDAA or some copy right law in their face and say " little pig little pig let me in" and if they refuse they get blown away much the same as megaupload was.btw the cloud sucks, gaming server has been offline all day.if this was a corporation i worked for it would have cost them 80 million dollars just in sales by now. other wise just 8 million dollars in employee costs alone.[/citation]

they don't even need NDAA... they're already duplicating ALL emails by default, and they are pushing for total internet big/brothering... check this out:

http/www.democracynow.org/2012/4/20/whistleblower_the_nsa_is_lying_us

http/www.democracynow.org/2012/4/20/exclusive_national_security_agency_whistleblower_william

http/www.democracynow.org/2012/4/23/more_secrets_on_growing_state_surveillance

 

[dalethepcman]

[citation][nom]willard[/nom]A perfectly valid point, but it's still not magic.......[/citation]

Did I ever say there was Magic involved. I said if any government was that interested in your email, that your computers and phones would already be compromised (CarrierIQ anyone?) And that trying to ensure they can't get into your gmail, would be the least of your concerns when you are faced with either living as a terrorist in a hole in the desert on the run, or an undocumented prisoner tortured until you die.

The stupidity of Sheeple never cease's to amaze me. "Government can't hack your email, their not magical" LOL

 

[jkflipflop98]

[citation][nom]willard[/nom]This isn't the movies, governments are not all powerful. They don't have some magic software that lets them into secured accounts, they have to compromise them the same way every other hacker does. Strong passwords, two stage authentication and a good virus scanner are no less effective just because the attacker happens to be the government.[/citation]

. .. except they have unlimited budget and the ability to "forcefully hire" the best hackers known. Either you work for us, or you rot in a cell and never see the sun again.

 

[willard]

[citation][nom]dalethepcman[/nom]Did I ever say there was Magic involved.[/citation]
Great job taking a sarcastic remark as literal as possible. You seem to think the government has some button they press and gain access to whatever they want. That is what I'm calling your magic. It only works like that in the movies.

I said if any government was that interested in your email, that your computers and phones would already be compromised (CarrierIQ anyone?)

Right, because they're magic and don't have to actually hack anything. They have the magic government-OS that has one button hacking and can break encryption that would take a supercomputer longer to break than the universe has existed. That's why they have to get court orders to get people to decrypt hard drives, because they can break any encryption trivially.

Also, CarrierIQ had nothing to do with the government, moron.

And that trying to ensure they can't get into your gmail, would be the least of your concerns when you are faced with either living as a terrorist in a hole in the desert on the run, or an undocumented prisoner tortured until you die.

Wow, where did this come from? So if you secure your email, you're going to be tortured to death or are labeled a terrorist? Are you off your meds or something?

The stupidity of Sheeple never cease's to amaze me. "Government can't hack your email, their not magical" LOL

*facepalm*

I'd really like you to show me where I said the government can't hack your email. I explicitly stated that they can. I just said that the same measures that make it difficult for the average hacker make it difficult for the government.

Why is it that every idiot with a computer thinks they're an expert on security these days?