Google’s password system, which controls almost all Google web services, was the victim of a hacking attack in January. A secret source from Google revealed to the New York Times that Google’s Single Sign-On system, Gaia, was unexpectedly attacked and that the attack lasted less than two days.
The report states that the intruders likely did not steal Gmail users’ passwords, and afterwards, Google quickly made security changes to its network to avoid further breaches. Google’s executives declined to disclose new details on Monday, stating that they had security issues caused by the theft of the company’s intellectual property. Google will continue to use the Gaia system, and the company announced an additional layer of encryption for the Gmail service. Google has also strengthened the security of its data centers and communication links between its services and the computers of users accessing those services. Through its Single Sign-On system, Google has simplified the use of its services for users, while making it easier for attackers to access all services with a single compromised account. (www.cert.hr)
