Interesting People mailing list archives
Google Desktop 3 can move restricted data into Google's servers?
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2006 16:41:54 -0500
do read the url and make safe decisions. djf -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Google Desktop 3 can move restricted data into Google's servers? Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2006 13:25:26 -0800 From: Joseph Lorenzo Hall <joehall () gmail com> Reply-To: joehall () pobox com To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net> The below alert claims that Google Desktop 3 copies files from your computer to Google's servers. I hope that this is incorrect, although even copying an index of some sort of the contents of a computer with sensitive information seems like a bad idea. -Joe ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Steve Chan <...@gmail.com> Date: Mar 3, 2006 11:10 AM Subject: [fun@sims] Google Desktop 3 can move restricted data into Google's servers Just FYI, if you have sensitive data on your computer (such as data related to research projects subject to HIPPA, FERPA, GLBA) then Google Desktop may put you in violatation: http://istpub.berkeley.edu:4201/bcc/Fall2006/905.html The Berkeley announcement doesn't lay out the sorts of things that may be violated, but this message to the UCSD community is quite clear: UCSD CAMPUS NOTICE University of California, San Diego OFFICE OF THE SENIOR VICE CHANCELLOR - ACADEMIC AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR - BUSINESS AFFAIRS February 22, 2006 ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UCSD (Including UCSD Healthcare) SUBJECT: Google Desktop Security Exposure Google Desktop V.3 contains certain features that raise serious security and privacy concerns. Specifically, the "share across computers" feature that introduces the ability to search content from desktop to desktop greatly increases the risk to users' privacy. If Google Desktop V.3 is set to allow "Search Across Computers" files on an indexed computer are copied to Google's servers. We recommend that individuals seriously consider the potential for information stored on their computers to be accessed by others if they enable this feature of Google Desktop V. 3 on their computers. Employees of the University (whether student, regular staff or faculty) who have confidential data on their work or home computers should not enable this feature. There are both privacy laws and university policies that could be violated through the installation of this feature, specifically, SB 1386, HIPPA, FERPA and GLBA. While some of the features of Google Desktop V.3 are enticing to faculty, students, and staff, it is important to understand how information is collected, stored, and shared through this application, and the potential privacy risk to individuals. Please review and share this information widely. Helpful References: Google Source: http://desktop.google.com/features.html#searchremote Policies about Protecting Data: http://blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics/Policy/0,1162,1861,00.html For a good summary of the privacy concerns related to Google Desktop V.3, see: Electronic Frontier Foundation: http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2006_02.php#004400 Technical Paper from University of Michigan's IT Security group: http://safecomputing.umich.edu/tools/download/gd_security.pdf For questions regarding this message, contact Charlotte Klock, Director ACT Data Center, at cklock () ucsd edu or (858) 822-1223 or Tony Wood, Director of Academic Computing Services, at twood () ucsd edu or (858) 534-4050. Marsha A. Chandler Senior Vice Chancellor - Academic Affairs Steven W. Relyea Vice Chancellor - Business Affairs -- Joseph Lorenzo Hall PhD Student UC Berkeley, School of Information <http://josephhall.org/> blog: <http://josephhall.org/nqb2/> This email is written in [markdown] - an easily-readable and parseable text format. [markdown]: http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/ ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
Current thread:
- Google Desktop 3 can move restricted data into Google's servers? Dave Farber (Mar 03)