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Has Google Indexed Your Backup Drive?

Posted by samzenpus on from the it's-out-there dept.

itwbennett writes Depending on how you've configured the device, your backup drive may have been indexed by Google, making some seriously personal information freely available online to anyone who knows what they're looking for. Using a few simple Google searches, CSO's Steve Ragan discovered thousands of personal records and documents online, including sales receipts with credit card information and tax documents with social security numbers. In all cases, the files were exposed because someone used a misconfigured device acting as a personal cloud, or FTP (File Transfer Protocol) was enabled on their router.

2 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. I'm a little baffled by squiggleslash · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So there are lots of people out there who are:

    1. Enabling FTP on their NAS boxes.
    2. Enabling anonymous access on this FTP service
    3. Allowing their Firewall/Router to let incoming FTP connections directly to the NAS box.

    I mean, the authors suggest those enabling FTP do not realize the implications, but how can you do ALL THREE and not realize the implications? Any one of those, particularly disabling anonymous access, would foil random search engines (and lazy hackers) trying to get at your files. But to do all three at once?

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  2. Wow... by dark.nebulae · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A quick search returned bank statements, someones 2012 1040 tax form (completed w/ soc and everything)...

    Couldn't find any porn though. I guess those aren't making it into the google indexes...