Google shuts down massive Chinese proxy network that hijacked millions of Android devices worldwide: How to stay safe?

Google says it has disrupted remove domains belonging to IPIDEA, which is considered one of the biggest malicious networks in the world. The company says it disrupted a proxy network which was used by bad actors to hijack millions of computers and phones to create ‘secret tunnels’ for conducting criminal activity.

Notably, Proxy networks act as intermediatries between the users and internet by routing traffic through third-party devices, and effectively hiding the real origin of activity. The feature is often abused by cybercriminals in order to stay annonymous and aconduct mailicious activity without directly exposing their own system.

What did Google stop?

Google said it disrupted IPIDEA by taking down its online strorefront and taking them to court to make sure that they can't market or distribute those targetting unknown internet users.

The tech giant says IPIDEA network allowed bad actors to hijack access people's home internet connections in order to conduct criminal activity that couldn't be traced to them.

This setup allowed attackers to “hide in plain sight,” by making it appear as if their criminal activity was coming from a regular user's device rather than their own and made them essentially untraceable.

John Hultquist, Chief Analyst at Google Threat Intelligence Group, in a blogpost by the company said, “Residential proxy networks have become a pervasive tool for everything from high-end espionage to massive criminal schemes. By routing traffic through a person’s home internet connection, attackers can hide in plain sight. ”

“By taking down the infrastructure used to run the IPIDEA network, we have effectively pulled the rug out from under a global marketplace that was selling access to millions of hijacked consumer devices.” he added

Google also said that in order to protect Android users it is updating Google Play Protect to automatically warn users if an app contains bad IPIDEA code and remove it from their device or block it from being installed.

The company also says that it has shared its research with other companies in order to make sure that IPIDEA does not grow back.

How to stay safe?

Google has highlighted the need for users to never share their internet access with untrusted programmes. It is also a good idea to always keep Google Play Protect turned on your device.

Moreover, the

Google emphasized the importance of never "sharing" internet access with untrusted programs. The company has also shared its research with other tech companies to ensure that the IPIDEA network does not grow back.