'We believe our actions have seriously impacted one of the largest residential proxy providers': Google takes the fight to IPIDEA and removes millions of devices from criminal network

• Google disrupts IPIDEA, a massive residential proxy network exploiting millions of devices
• Over 550 threat groups used IPIDEA for espionage, credential theft, and botnet operations
• Legal action, domain seizures, and Play Protect updates reduced proxy device pool by millions

Google has declared it struck one of the largest residential proxy networks around today, disrupting hundreds of cybercriminal groups and possibly thousands of hacking operations.

On its blog, Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) said it disrupted IPIDEA, a well-known residential proxy service that counts millions of Android, Windows, and other devices.

GTIG says IPIDEA relied on software development kits (SDK), which were advertised to software developers as a way to monetize their apps. However, apps that included these SDKs actually assimilated the devices into the proxy network, without the users’ knowledge, or consent. Usually, residential proxy networks comprise routers, modems, DVRs, smart home devices, and different sensors ...