Google Warns Journalists of 'State-Sponsored' Hacking Attempts (Report) – TheWrap

admin February 13, 2017 Hacking Leave a comment 396 Views

Several leading journalists across a range of genres have received warning from Google that state-sponsored hackers are attempting to steal their Gmail passwords and gain access to their email, according to Politico.

Among those cautioned were CNN senior media reporter Brian Stelter, GQ special contributor Keith Olbermann, Julia Ioffe of The Atlantic, Jonathan Chait of New York Magazine and Ezra Klein, the founder of Vox, who says he’s been receiving the warning as recently as in the last few days.

In several of their cases, the alerts started coming a few weeks after the November election and appear as a bright red band across the top of their incoming Gmail, reading: “Warning: Google may have detected government-backed attackers trying to steal your password.”

“The fact that all this started right after the election suggests to me that journalists are the next wave to be targeted by state-sponsored hackers in the way that Democrats were during it,” one journalist told Politico. “I worry that the outcome is going to be the same: Someone, somewhere, is going to get hacked, and then the contents of their gmail will be weaponized against them — and by extension all media.”

Google went on to say that the accounts hadn’t already been compromised but warnings were sent due to ” an abundance of caution.”

There are more than 1 billion Gmail users worldwide.

A spokesperson for Google has yet to respond to TheWrap’s request for further information.

The Sony Hack’s Key Players: Where Are They Now? (Photos)

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Steve Mosko
Mosko served as the Head of Television Division of Sony Pictures Entertainment from 2001 until October 2015, when he was made Chairman of Sony Pictures Television — until he announced he was stepping down in June 2016.

Also Read: Sony TV Promotes Steve Mosko to Chairman

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Clint Culpepper
Screen Gems’ president called Kevin Hart a “whore” in an email to a colleague after the actor sought an increase in salary for his personal promotions.

Hart responded, “I worked very hard to get where I am today. I look at myself as a brand and because of that I will never allow myself to be taken advantage of.” Culpepper is still president of the production company.

Also Read: Sony Leak: 28 Lies Hollywood Agents Tell Studio Executives About Their Actor Clients

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Seth Rogen and James Franco
The hack revealed that Rogen made $8.4 million for co-directing and acting in “The Interview,” while co-star Franco received $6.5 million. The film’s overall budget was $44 million and included $241 for a “table of weed, coke, pills and panties,” as well as $74,000 for two tigers, their handlers, and special “tiger accommodations.”

Rogen recently starred in “Steve Jobs” and has six more projects lined up, including “Neighbors 2.” Franco also has multiple projects in the queue, including directing “The Long Home.”

Also Read: Sony to Release ‘The Interview’ in Theaters, on VOD Despite Threats (Exclusive)

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David Fincher
In an email with the subject line “Well it ain’t ME,” the director who almost directed “Steve Jobs” blames the studio for the many leaks on that film — compared to the more tight-lipped studios like Fox, with whom he worked on “Gone Girl.”

“I had 15 meetings with Rosamund Pike [for “Gone Girl”] and her DEAL CLOSED before Variety OR The [Hollywood] Reporter ever ran a single blurb,” he said. “This is a CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH SONY.” Since then, Fincher has focused on producing Netflix’s “House of Cards.”

Also Read: Steve Jobs Biopic: David Fincher Not in Talks to Direct, But He’s Taking the Meeting

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Michael de Luca

The president of production at Sony, proved true all the gossip that surrounded his taking the studio job. The “Fifty Shades of Grey” producer left Sony in April 2015 shortly after Tom Rothman’s promotion and took a producing deal with Universal.

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