Google has moved to investigate whether Chinese hackers had access to inside help during the recent attack on their operation. In recent days, several staff in the company’s China office have either been moved to other operations or suspended as investors probe recent attacks on the company’s operations.Google has moved to investigate as to whether Chinese hackers had access to inside help during recent attack on itsoperation. In recent days several staff in the Companies China office have either been moved to other operations or suspended.
Google, the world’s most popular search engine, said last week it may pull out of the world’s biggest Internet market by users after reporting it had been hit by a “sophisticated” cyber-attack on its network that resulted in theft of its intellectual property.
Now Reuters is claiming that the that the attack, which targeted people who have access to specific parts of Google networks, may have been facilitated by people working in Google China’s office.
“We’re not commenting on rumor and speculation. This is an ongoing investigation, and we simply cannot comment on the details,” a Google spokeswoman said.
Security analysts told Reuters the malicious software (malware) used in the Google attack was a modification of a Trojan called Hydraq. A Trojan is malware that, once inside a computer, allows someone unauthorised access. The sophistication in the attack was in knowing whom to attack, not the malware itself, the analysts said.
