State-sponsored actors used your cloud spreadsheets as a spy tool. 📊
53 Organizations · 42 Countries · China-linked espionage cluster UNC2814 disrupted.
@[Google](urn:li:organization:1441) and @[Mandiant](urn:li:organization:264848) have revealed a prolific campaign that used @[Google Sheets](urn:li:organization:1441) as a covert command-and-control (C2) channel. By hiding malicious traffic within legitimate cloud API requests, attackers evaded detection for nearly a decade while targeting telecoms and governments.
The group deployed a novel backdoor named GridTide, which masqueraded as legitimate system processes. This camouflage allowed them to slip past standard network triggers by blending in with the cloud patterns teams see every day.
The uncomfortable truth: Your greatest blind spot is the legitimate cloud software that your security tools are trained to ignore.
→ Review and restrict API access to cloud productivity suites for non-essential service accounts.
→ Monitor for unusual data transfer patterns to common SaaS platforms like Sheets or Drive.
→ Audit your Linux servers for unauthorized binaries masquerading as package managers like apt.
How does your SOC detect data exfiltration when it is disguised as a legitimate cloud API call? 👇
#Cybersecurity #ThreatIntelligence #CloudSecurity #Espionage #CISO #CodeDefence