Security News > 2021 > October > Google sent 50,000 warnings of state-sponsored attacks in 2021
Google said today that it sent roughly 50,000 alerts of state-sponsored phishing or hacking attempts to customers during 2021, a considerable increase compared to the previous year.
"So far in 2021, we've sent over 50,000 warnings, a nearly 33% increase from this time in 2020," said Ajax Bash, a Google security engineer working with the company's Threat Analysis Group.
The company has been warning Google users of such attacks since 2012, an alert system redesigned in 2017 and revamped with added info on the potential attack vector as seen in recent alerts sent in September.
Shane Huntley, Director of Google's Threat Analysis Group, said these warnings are commonly sent to activists, journalists, government officials, or people working in national security structures because they're the ones targeted by government-backed entities.
Google also observed them trying to deliver spyware onto potential victims' smartphones using malicious apps disguised as legitimate VPN software distributed via the Google Play Store and third-party platforms between May 2020 and July 2021.
"Thousands of these warnings are sent every month, even in cases where the corresponding attack is blocked. If you receive a warning it does not mean your account has been compromised, it means you have been identified as a target," Bash added.