If you use Google Docs a lot - like myself and many million others around the world - then you should be aware that not everything is as secure as you might think.I personally believe that the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages, and that the only sure way to keep things private is keeping it in your local computer (preferably discconected from the internet) and/or keeping it under a secure layer of encryption. But, it's always nice to be up to date in the latest security flaws of a service so many have grown to rely on.
So, what's the matter with these Google Doc's security flaws?
First of all, it seems that any image you embed in a document - even a private/protected one - can quite easily be viewed by anyone out there
Not only that, by sharing a document with someone, you open the door to someone being able to view previous versions of any diagram you might have made. Imagine someone digging up any "secret info" you deleted for that final public presentation... doesn't sound good, does it?
Last but not least, and perhaps the worse of them all - after you remove someone's permissions to access a file; there's till ahe chance they'll still be able to access it afterwards.
Now... that is annoying!
Twitter's internal systems have just been hacked into, along with the accounts of Twitter users (including celebrities):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.timacheson.com/Blog/2009/jul/twitter_hacked_via_google_apps
The initial point of entry wasn't a gap in Twitter's security. The hacker(s) gained access through a Google Apps account. The worry with a Google account is, it's web-based and therefore only as secure as the rest of the Internet. If yuor Google account is compromised and you use Google Docs in a serious commercial setting, your Twitter account will be the least of your worries.
That and Twitter servers password being "password"! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/15/another-security-tip-for-twitter-dont-use-password-as-your-password/