Google Cloud warns state-backed hackers are targeting Western defence suppliers
Whitepaper released at Munich Security Conference sets out five-layer strategy for protecting democracies from digital threats
Google Cloud has warned that state-sponsored cyber actors are increasingly targeting US and European defence suppliers, with a particular focus on next-generation technologies such as drones and unmanned systems.
The findings come from a whitepaper released at the Munich Security Conference, drawing on analysis from the Google Threat Intelligence Group.
The report said China has run more cyber threat campaigns by volume than any other country in recent years, and highlighted growing threats to industrial supply chains and adversaries exploiting hiring processes to gain access to sensitive organisations.
Google Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alphabet, set out a five-layer defence strategy covering infrastructure, architecture, AI models, applications and security.
The company said its network spans two million miles of subsea and terrestrial cable, includes 43 cloud regions and more than 200 points of presence, and pointed to its sovereign cloud and air-gapped offerings as tools for governments handling sensitive data.
The whitepaper cited Google's AI work with the US Defense Logistics Agency on real-time supply chain intelligence and identified its Gemini and DeepMind models as ready for government adoption and public service delivery.
Google named partnerships with NATO's Communication and Information Agency, the US Department of Defense, the German Armed Forces, the UK Ministry of Defence and Australia's Department of Defence as evidence of growing institutional trust in its platforms.
Related reading
- Google launches AI experiences for arts, culture and heritage ahead of India summit
- Google reshapes advertising and shopping tools around AI for 2026
- Human API reveals man-bites-dog approach to agentic AI
The company urged governments to pursue three priorities: modernising procurement to speed up technology deployment, promoting interoperability across allied systems, and building resilience through technical excellence rather than policies that favour domestic suppliers.
Google said it had made legal and technical commitments to support national resilience, though the whitepaper did not detail specific contractual terms.
The Recap
- Whitepaper outlines a unified, full‑stack approach to digital resilience.
- Google's network spans 2 million miles and 43 cloud regions.
- Company called for procurement speed, interoperability, and technical excellence.
