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You are hereInternet SecurityWhy Security is Google's Achilles Heel -- Part IVSubmitted by Scott Cleland on Wed, 2009-08-12 15:57It is interesting that since I started this series spotlighting that security is and has been, for all practical and official purposes, a low corporate priority for Google, a Googler now publicly claims: "for Google, there is no higher priority than the safety and security of our users."
This new claim and development presents a useful opportunity to evaluate Google's stated security philosophy. Does new Government cookie policy favor publicacy over privacy? Part XIII -- Privacy-Publicacy SeriesSubmitted by Scott Cleland on Tue, 2009-08-11 14:14The U.S. Government is relatively quietly proposing a major change in its online privacy policy from a Government ban on Government using "cookies" to track citizens' use of U.S. Government websites to allowing the Government to track some citizen online behavior with some restrictions.
This policy shift is a quintessential example of the shift away from a default expectation of online privacy, to the default "publicacy" approach increasingly taken by many web 2.0 entities.
I have written about the growing tension between privacy and publicacy thirteen times this year, because I believe it is one of the biggest changes that is occurring online that average users are not aware of, but should be. The Open Internet's Growing Security Problem -- Part XVSubmitted by Scott Cleland on Mon, 2009-08-10 19:05Evidence of the Open Internet's growing security problem only continues to mount. There also appears to be a growing and troubling disconnect between the seriousness of the actual problem and the seriousness of attention paid to the growing Internet security problem.
"Twitter, Facebook Sites Disrupted by Web Attack" WSJ
"Most users clueless about cybersecurity, FBI says" PC World Google: "Security is part of Google's DNA" -- ("Do Not Ask")Submitted by Scott Cleland on Tue, 2009-07-28 12:13"Security is part of Google's DNA" is Google's slogan to soothe security concerns about its services much like "competition is one click away" is Google's antitrust slogan to soothe antitrust concerns about its dominance. While Google claims security is metaphorically in the "DNA" or "genetic code" of their many cloud applications, "DNA" is also Google code for "Do Not Ask." "Do Not Ask" is Google's unspoken MO -- method of operation. Defining the Problem(s) is the Crux of the National Broadband PlanSubmitted by Scott Cleland on Tue, 2009-07-21 10:23FCC Broadband Coordinator Blair Levin described the crux of the National Broadband Plan in testifying before the Commission 7-02 as "identifying where there are currently 'demonstrable public interest harms.'" That central task is essentially defining the problem(s) and is necessary to complete the last task of the plan: "identifying ways to lessen those public interest harms," or recommending solutions. Defining the problem largely defines the range of recommended solutions.
Levin's choice of a classic organizational structure, background-problem-solution, is a wise, useful, and simplifying approach for such an exceedingly complex endeavor. Ironically Zittrain's "Lost in the Cloud" emphasizes three of my big concerns/themesSubmitted by Scott Cleland on Mon, 2009-07-20 12:03Jonathan Zittrain's NYTimes Op-ed today, "Lost in the Clouds" ironically captured three of my big concerns/themes about the Internet and its natural outgrowth -- cloud computing.
Why Security is Google's Achilles Heel -- Part II; Google values security much less than others doSubmitted by Scott Cleland on Thu, 2009-07-16 22:58"It’s not our fault that Google has a ridiculously easy way to get access to accounts via their password recovery question" said Michael Arrington of TechCrunch in a post defending his publishing of secret Twitter corporate information that was stolen from Twitter by "Hacker Croll" via Google's password system. See New York Times story. Only last week I wrote a post "Why Security is Google's Achille's Heel." My overall security thesis is simple. The Open Internet's Growing Security Problem -- Part XIIISubmitted by Scott Cleland on Fri, 2009-07-10 17:46
Additional new evidence continues to spotlight the Open Internet's growing security problem, and underscore why President Obama effectively declared the lack of cybersecurity as the Internet's biggest problem in his cybersecurity address May 29th.
Why Security is Google's Achilles HeelSubmitted by Scott Cleland on Wed, 2009-07-08 12:09Google's launch of a new PC operating system on the heels of its announcement ending the "beta" phase for its popular gmail, Calendar, Docs and Talk applications, is happening in the midst of a new era where cyber-security has been made a new national priority and internet security breaches are increasingly serious and commonplace.
An examination of Google's own public representation of its corporate philosophy and design principles shows security/safety is simply not a priority for Google. In many respects, security is viewed as a hinderance to, or a drag on, Google's over-riding goal of speed-efficiency. In Google's philosophy statement, "Ten things Google has found to be true" there is no mention of the importance of security/safety to Google or Google's users. #3 point on the philosophy list says: "Fast is better than slow:" The President Makes Cybersecurity a National Priority -- Internet's Growing Security Problem -- Part XIISubmitted by Scott Cleland on Thu, 2009-06-04 16:58The President's Cybersecurity announcement 5-29 was a game changer for the Internet. For the first time the U.S. Government officially declared the lack of cybersecurity as the Internet's biggest problem.
Here is the latest mainstream evidence of the open Internet's growing security problem. "Mysterious virus strikes FBI" ZDNet Pages |