from where i will get this book On Dec 28, 9:00 am, N41K <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Geeks, > > I found this book intresting. So, I wish to share.... > > Book: "Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You" > > Overview > > If I ask “How much do you know about Google?” You may not take even a > second to respond. But if I may ask “How much does Google know about > you”? You may instantly reply “Wait... what!? Do they!?” The book > “Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You” by Greg Conti > (Computer Science Professor at West Point) is the first book to reveal > how Google's vast information stockpiles could be used against you or > your business – and what you can do to protect yourself. > > Drawing on his own advanced security research, Conti shows how > Google's databases can be used by others with bad intent, even if > Google succeeds in its pledge of "don't be evil". We cannot deny the > fact that Google is the most utilized search engine on the world wide > web, along with its wide range of applications. And this book discuss > its wide applications with in-depth analysis from security > perspective. > > Google Search Engine - How your search queries reveal a bright picture > of you or your company. > Gmail – How it could be used to track your personal network of > friends, family and acquaintances. > Google's Map – How it could be used to track down your home and work > location, your family and friends, travel plans and intentions. > Mobile – How cell phones plays a major role in one's privacy breach > using Google's application. AdSense and DoubleClick - How these > advertising tools can trace you around the Web. > > Google has now become an integral part of our lives. It is not > uncommon to hear references in casual conversation when someone > questions us about something and we are unsure about it, we use the > phrase ‘Just Google It’. Just imagine how much information over the > past ten years we have poured into the hands of Google, which > collected over time can paint a very accurate picture of ourselves on > its servers. > > The book focuses specifically on Google. However, the security issues > detailed are just as relevant to Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Ask and the more > than 50 other search engines. Have you ever give a thought what would > happen when you submit your sensitive information to Google or to any > other online company? And if it could > > get spilled, lost, taken, shared, or subpoenaed and later used for > identity theft or even blackmail? If no, then you should. This book is > a wake-up call to get ourselves aware and a “how-to” self defense > manual. > Review Summary > > Chapter 1 “Googling” is an analysis of Google and its application. It > also gives an outlook of how users reveal their information utilizing > tools provided by Google. Conti says “Google is arguably the most > powerful because of its wide range of popular free tools, top-tier > intellectual talent, nearly infinite data storage, financial > resources, and information-processing capabilities. Most important, > however, is the information that Google captures as we use its wide > range of popular free tools. Information is slippery, and it can be > lost, taken, or deliberately disclosed.” > > Chapter 2 “Information Flows and Leakage” talks about how your > information is capable of transferring from one medium to another by > means of network drives and other hardwares . > > Chapter 3 “Footprints, Fingerprints and Connections” provides you the > insight on how you leave your information for Google to trace you. > Google and other online companies log what can be logged. Google does > not provide any specific time estimates as to how long will they keep > your information since they say 'We keep the information as long as we > think its useful'. According to the author “Initially, this cluster > will be anonymous, but over time, often a very short period of time, > the sum of these can reveal the identity of users themselves or > uniquely identify them when they appear on another, previously unused > computing device”. > > Chapter 4 – 6 examines the risks associated with major classes of > online tools, including search, communication, and mapping. According > to the author “Google has the power to make people disappear from the > electronic universe, shape public perception, and blackmail world > leaders and individual citizens. This power is ceded by each use of > online free tools. Search is the core of Google's power and the key > way we relinquish control over our destinies, one query at a time”. > > Chapter 7 “Advertise and Embedded Content” Conti summarize this > chapter as “Web browsing isn't a one-to-one conversation with a single > web site. Instead, embedded content such as maps, images, videos, > advertisements, web-analytics code, and social networking widgets > immediately disclose each user's visit to a third party when that user > merely views a page in his or her web browser”. > > Chapter 8 “Googlebot” This chapter talks about Googlebot and its > functionality. Googlebot is Google’s web crawling robot, which finds > and retrieves pages on the web and hands them off to the Google > indexer. > > Chapter 9 “Countermeasures” This chapter talks about the > countermeasure that can be taken to reduce the impact of information > disclosure. It also discuss the technical aspect of security as to > what tool and techniques can be used to add a layer to your security. > > Chapter 10 “Conclusions and a Look to the Future” analyzes current > trends and illustrates what future risks could lie ahead. > Conclusion > > H.L.Mencken once said “The average man does not want to be free. He > simply wants to be safe.” It would be unfair to say that Google does > not protect the information we provide. “It is one of their valuable > assets, so protecting it is clearly in their best interest to do so” . > But information is a slippery thing. There is a saying in the security > community that says 'Services can be fast, cheap, or secure (choose > two).' > > Since there are no free lunches available in this world and online > companies provides us free online tools and we pay the price of our > priceless confidential information unintentionally. Achieving security > is a moving target and absolute security does not exist. However, > precautionary measures can be taken to ensure a better security. > > Besides other informative content, the most interesting thing I have > found in this book is the way Greg Conti has translated the License > Agreement in simple words that can made your eyes wide open. After > reading this review you may comment that apparently I used Google > against Google. But thats not true. I like and use Google services as > much as the next guy that even my browser's Home Page is configured to > Google, but their ultra-secretive habits make me very wary of them. > > Cheers,
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