Google Launches Cyber Disruption Unit to Proactively Counter Threats Instead of ‘Just Defending’

• Proactive defense: Google announced starting a cyber “disruption unit” aimed at a more proactive stance against threat actors.
• Aggressive strategies: GTIG wants to shift cybersecurity toward countering threats via "legal and ethical disruption" methods.
• Hacking back: These activities would span from traditional active defense to more controversial "hack back" operations.

Google is launching a new cyber disruption unit, a strategic initiative aimed at shifting its cybersecurity posture from reactive to proactive. Announced by Sandra Joyce, VP of the Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG), this move signals a growing industry trend toward more aggressive active defense strategies to counter sophisticated cyber adversaries.

A New Era of Active Defense

At the Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law event, Joyce stated that the GTIG unit's primary objective is “intelligence-led proactive identification of opportunities” to dismantle malicious campaigns and operations before they cause significant harm.

The new Google cyber disruption unit will focus on "legal and ethical disruption" options, seeking partnerships to bolster its efforts. 

This approach falls between traditional active defense, like setting up honeypots, and more controversial "hack back" operations, which could include dismantling botnet infrastructure through legal channels. Google already sued the BadBox 2.0 botnet operators last month.

“The very idea that in this current bleak state of affairs, engaging in cyber offense is escalatory, I propose to you, is laughable,” said Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, referring to previous U.S. water utilities and hospital cyberattacks. “Not only is engaging in thoughtful and careful cyber offense not escalatory, but not doing so is.”

The initiative reflects a broader conversation in the cybersecurity community about the need for more assertive measures to impose real-world consequences on threat actors.

Driving Cybersecurity Innovation

The formation of this unit represents a significant step in private-sector cybersecurity innovation. As threat actors become increasingly sophisticated, relying solely on purely defensive measures proves insufficient. 

Joyce emphasized the need to move beyond a reactive position to make a tangible difference in the current threat landscape. By actively disrupting attacker infrastructure and campaigns, Google aims to increase the cost and complexity for malicious actors, thereby reducing their overall effectiveness. 

This proactive stance aims to create a more secure digital ecosystem by incorporating active degradation of adversaries' capabilities into the defense against attacks. 

Other recent reports involving Google include the Gemini AI model for Workspace exposing users to phishing and the SharePoint exploits impacting 100 entities, with Google linking some hacks to Chinese actors. 

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