Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Google Copies Corporate Data to Google's Servers?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the not-me-seekrit-plans dept.

Penguinisto writes "According to Silicon.com, some CIOs have been seeing their company data being transferred to Google's servers as part of Google Desktop's functionality." From the article: "Mark Saysell, IT director at Coutts Retail Communications UK, said he is planning a network audit to find rogue installations, which will then be de-installed. New security measures will also be put in place to prevent further downloads. He said: 'Google has definitely over-stepped the mark and in turn is forcing IT departments to take a very draconian approach to machine security and web access.'"

4 of 295 comments (clear)

  1. more sensationalism by jbellis · · Score: 4, Informative

    This article is a joke. It's all about quoting people talking about how dangerous the new version of Google Desktop is when Google is very up-front about telling you what features will result in data being copied, and how to turn it off.

    IT'S DISABLED BY DEFAULT. You have to WANT to turn it on.

    Lousy reporting, is what this is.

    1. Re:more sensationalism by testrake · · Score: 4, Informative

      Perhaps "they" do a little research and determine that you can use GPO to disable the parts they don't want running?

      They can, in fact, disable the installation in at least two ways: GPO from Microsoft (Google for "Software Restriction Policy") OR GPO from Google (http://desktop.google.com/enterprise/index.html)

      The GPO from Google (part of the Enterprise download) is able to control many of the settings -- including the sharing of index data and encryption of the indexes -- on both the Enterprise Google Desktop and standard Google Desktop.

      Of course, a competent network administrator would already know that, right?

  2. Re:CIOs, come on, go(ogle) for it! by Red+Alastor · · Score: 4, Informative
    On the other hand, Google Desktop should definitely default to not storing your data on anyone else's server.
    It is disabled by default. You can check the options during the install but it's clearly written that your files will be transfered to their servers. Of course people can't read but that's not Google's fault.

    But maybe they should default to disabled and not offer the choice during install. Just put it somewhere in the preferences where people who can't read won't go.

    --
    Slashdot anagrams to "Sad Sloth"
  3. Google provided a way to disable it, corporate-wid by Truist · · Score: 5, Informative

    It took a bit to dig this up, but it turns out that if you set the registry key:

    HKLM\Software\Policies\Google\Google Desktop\Enterprise -> disallow_ssd_service

    as a REG_DWORD to '1'

    Google Desktop won't let you use the "Search Across Computers" feature. (I tried it.) You can set that key in the group policy scripts relatively easily.