A recent incident involving unusual traffic on the internet has raised concerns about potential malicious activity. Google has detected suspicious requests coming from a specific IP address, which may be in violation of their Terms of Service. As a result, users may encounter a CAPTCHA page when trying to access certain services, as a security measure to verify that the requests are not generated by automated bots.
The IP address in question is 2a02:4780:b:921:0:25a5:407e:2, and the suspicious activity occurred on September 12, 2024, at 20:39:55 UTC. The specific URL affected by this incident is a Google News RSS feed link.
The presence of malicious software, browser plug-ins, or scripts that send automated requests may be responsible for the unusual traffic. Users are advised to contact their network administrator if they suspect that their network connection is being used inappropriately. It is also recommended to be cautious while using advanced search terms that are known to be used by bots or when sending requests at a rapid pace.
The block on the IP address will be lifted once the suspicious requests cease, allowing normal access to Google services. In the meantime, users are encouraged to complete the CAPTCHA verification to confirm they are legitimate users. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity measures to protect against potential threats on the internet.
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Photo credit news.google.com
