Google has been hit by an attack that re-routed the firm’s global internet traffic through servers located in Russia, China and Nigeria.
Security experts have spoken out about the data diversion, which they believe was part of a ‘wargame experiment’ being run by the three nations involved.
Information from Google searches, cloud-hosting services and the company’s bundle of collaboration tools for businesses – known as G Suite – were all affected.
Google is downplaying the incident, described by one expert as the ‘worst ever’ in the firm’s history, saying it does not believe it was malicious.
The firm has also yet to confirm the exact nature of the data affected, as well as how many users have been put at risk, with millions potentially in the firing line.
Security researchers are concerned about the prospect of the nations involved gaining access to users’ private data, although much of it should be encrypted.
The attack may also be a sign of things to come as cyber warfare steps up between the West and its global competitors.
