The Rest Is Classified 89. China vs Google: The War That Shaped the Internet (Ep 2)
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Oct 7, 2025 Dive into the thrilling breach at Google's headquarters that revealed a sophisticated cyber attack from China targeting activists. Hosts discuss how this incident catalyzed Google's reversal on censorship and ignited a geopolitical firestorm. Discover the meticulous strategies Google employed to secure their networks and the shocking decision to go public about the hack. The debate unfolds over tech firms' ties to state interests and the long-term implications for global cyber rivalries. A gripping tale of espionage and corporate courage unfolds!
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War Room And Holiday Password Purge
- Google security built a secret "war room" to investigate a massive breach over the 2009 holiday period.
- They prepared a company-wide password reset and network cutover to purge attackers without telling staff why.
Breaking The Silence: Publicly Blaming China
- Google went public about the hack and explicitly blamed China, breaking industry norms of silence after breaches.
- The company also tied the attack to attempts to access Gmail accounts of Chinese human-rights activists.
Values Versus Market: Google Reconsiders China
- The Aurora hack crystallized internal Google debate over censorship and corporate values like "don't be evil."
- Sergey Brin and Larry Page pushed to stop censoring Google.cn after the breach as a values-driven response.
