Google sues 2 Russian nationals for allegedly hacking of over 1 million computers

Google has recently filed a lawsuit against hackers who are suspected of involvement in a cybercrime network that has stolen user data from across the globe. Two Russians as well as 15 unknown persons have been accused of being behind Glupteba, a dangerous "botnet" that has corrupted over a million machines, according to a lawsuit. Perpetrators exploit these systems of hacked devices to steal personal information. This case is considered to be the first legal action against a botnet, BBC reported.  

Google has filed the complaint in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday against Dmitry Starovikov and Alexander Filippov, the two Russian citizens, and over a dozen unnamed persons for allegedly building and administering the "Glupteba" botnet, as per The HILL news website.  

The Glupteba malware propagates through third-party download websites

The Glupteba malware, which was initially discovered in 2011, propagates through third-party download websites, online movie streaming platforms, and a website that falsely claimed to be linked with Google's YouTube. The botnet may be used to steal private information that can be utilised to perpetrate crimes such as fraud. According to charging documents, the Glupteba botnet is distinguished from others by its technological complexity. 

Furthermore, Starovikov and Filippov, the two Russia's hackers whose identities were known, did not comment on the allegations right away. Starovikov, Filippov, and the 15 other unidentified accused are convicted of computer fraud and abuse, trademark infringement, and other offenses in the case. 

'Glupteba is notorious for stealing users' credentials and data': Google

Meanwhile, Google said in a blog post that after an investigation done by the company it has been seen that Glupteba had infected nearly a million Windows machines. The botnet is thought to expand at the speed of thousands of new devices each day at times. 

According to the blog post, "Glupteba is notorious for stealing users' credentials and data, mining cryptocurrencies on infected hosts, and setting up proxies to funnel other people's internet traffic through infected machines and routers," BBC reported. Google believes that for the time being, it has taken down the hackers' essential command and control network by stopping Glupteba's creators from controlling the botnet. 

The Glupteba botnet often protects itself with blockchain technology, making it more difficult to address. Over the last year, Google's Threat Analysis Group has tried to disrupt the botnet by shutting down 63 million Google Docs, over 1,100 Google Accounts, over 900 Cloud Projects, and 870 Google Ads accounts which have been aiding in its distribution, as per The Hill.  Approximately 3.5 million Google users were also cautioned not to download a harmful file linked to the botnet, according to Google. 

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