Google sounds alarm after massive data breach leaves 2.5B users exposed -- what to do ASAP to protect yourself

It sounds like the plot of a sci-fi crime thriller, but the latest major cyberhack is real.

Google revealed that a cybercriminal group known as the ShinyHunters hacked a database of their accounts through the cloud-based software provider Salesforce, exposing the roughly 2.5 billion Gmail and Google Cloud users worldwide to possible breaches.

Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) said it first discovered a breach in June and, by August, became aware of bad actors using “overlapping tactics, techniques, and procedures” to access networks and accounts. Those tactics include social engineering, such as impersonating IT support reps in phone conversations, primarily targeting English-speaking users at multinational companies.

GTIG said the data obtained was “basic and largely publicly available business information” but warned that ShinyHunters “may be preparing to escalate their extortion tactics by launching a data leak site … likely intended to increase pressure on victims.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/google-sounds-alarm-after-massive-data-breach-leaves-2-5b-users-exposed-what-to-do-asap-to-protect-yourself/ar-AA1M8sam