Khaberni - Google announced the dismantling of one of the most dangerous malicious networks that exploited millions of smart devices around the world, including Android phones, turning them into internet gateways used in suspicious activities without the knowledge of their owners.
A digital espionage network operates in the shadows
Google said it obtained a federal court order in the United States that enabled it to disable dozens of backend systems and websites of a company called "Ipidea," a Chinese company that was managing what Google described as the world's largest Residential Proxy network.
These networks rely on passing hackers' internet traffic through the devices of ordinary people, such as smartphones, computers, and smart home devices, making the activity appear as if it is coming from regular users, not malicious entities, according to a report published by "phonearena" and seen by "Al Arabiya Business".
How was your phone exploited without your knowledge?
According to Google, millions of users ended up within this network after downloading free apps or games containing hidden codes belonging to "Ipidea".
Once the app is installed, the phone becomes part of a network that allows hackers to use the user's internet address (IP) to obscure activities that may be illegal.
The company confirmed that Play Protect, the built-in Android security system, automatically started warning users about these apps and removing them, in addition to preventing any future attempts to install them.
Nevertheless, "Ipidea" has spread widely after it paid developers for each download of its software packages.
Millions of devices turned into a "botnet"
Over the past year, attackers exploited this network to take control of more than two million devices and turn them into a massive cyberattack network known as Kimwolf, used in enforcing Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that disrupted major websites.
Security researchers described the Kimwolf network as the strongest botnet detected so far.
9 million Android phones at risk
The "Wall Street Journal" reported that the "Ipidea" network included nearly 9 million Android devices around the world.
Google confirmed that dismantling the network led to disconnecting millions of devices from it, in addition to deleting hundreds of related apps from Google Play Store.
For its part, "Ipidea" claimed that its services were intended for legitimate commercial purposes, and opposed any illegal use, noting that it had previously used aggressive marketing methods before stopping them.
Warning for users
Despite this wide move, cybersecurity experts emphasized the need for caution and advised users not to install free apps from unknown sources, to pay close attention to the permissions requested by the apps, and to delete any unused or unknown apps.
When free isn't really free
This incident rehighlights the hidden risks of some free apps, and confirms that the ease of use and freedom provided by the Android system sometimes comes at a cost, represented in the need for user awareness and caution.
Despite Google's success in dismantling one of the most dangerous digital networks, the most important factor remains the user's behavior itself, as it is the first line of defense for their phone and data in an increasingly complex digital world.
