1. thanks

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by deckar

2. If Google Desktop Search can read your e-mails without needing a password, then guess what? So can you. It really isn't too hard to get on someone's computer and start reading their e-mails without a password. Google isn't creating a security problem. At most, they're making the security problem more accessible.

Although I do think that they should allow certain per-user settings, and require the users to enter passwords for e-mail. This is still just a beta release, meaning it isn't supposed to be perfect, and if it turns out to be a major concern then they'll no doubt fix it in the near future.

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by David Hammond

3. Of course, the more popular Google Desktop becomes the more exposed users will be to security attacks (viruses, privacy invasions). It's inevitable and it's why I haven't downloaded it yet. Planethalder.

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Planethalder

4. Why would Google Desktop Search make you more vulnerable to virus attacks? And it's not like it presents remotely-accessible security vulnerabilities. What the issue presented in this post means is that if you get on a computer that's used by other people and install Google Desktop Search, you can read their e-mails without needing a password. So installing it on your own personal computer doesn't present a risk. Saying that GDS creates security holes is like saying that a hex editor creates security hole.

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by David Hammond

5. If someone wants to get into your computer, as in soneone wants to get into "Your" computer, they will. Using or having a desktop search will not help them unless they are actually at your desktop, and if they are and have the time it is not going to matter what you have or do not have to protect your computer. They are going to get in. My suggestion is to have a backup of all your critical data, because it is most likely that the person who wants to mess with your system just wants to destroy it, not look around inside it. So if someone just wants to destroy your stuff then the best thing to have is backups of all your data so if it does happen you can get another computer and be up and running with as little hassle as possible.

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Scott R. Ruecker

6. The first thing I thought of was that this would make it so easy for my wife to try and find out what I ordered for for Christmas (she's shameless that way).

The second thing I thought of was "What happens when some hacker figures out how to access your Desktop results from HIS computer?"

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Cardozo Bozo

7. The way Google Desktop Search, it's simply impossible for a remote user to access your GDS database without having complete access to your computer (in which case they wouldn't need GDS anyway).

Your search results are never put online. You database, search results, etc. all exist on your own computer. The information never goes online in any way. And remember, remote users can only access what your computer chooses to send them.

GDS doesn't present any more of a security threat than the regular Windows file search. Period. It makes the accessible more convenient, and that's it.

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by David Hammond

8. >> The way Google Desktop Search, it's simply impossible for a remote user to access your GDS database without having complete access to your computer <<

But you see, that's the point. We're talking about public computers. As someone who attends a lot of industry conferences, and often uses workstation computers to do e-mail during those conferences, I think this issue has some importance. Anyone can download Desktop Search to a public computer (think libraries, too) and troll through e-mail activity. Naturally, some network situations would forbid the download from Google in the first plasce. But the article cited in this blog entry still makes a good point.

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Brad Hill

9. seems to me that google does a good job ... it finds everything that can be found and displayed ... it is system's job to protect files ...

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by miserables

10. Seems to me that the problem people are having is that ggogle Desktop has taken soemthing that previously has been slow and cumbersome and perhaps required ever so slightly better knowledge than the average PC user and made it fast and efficient.

That was the reason we want computers in the first place...right?

Don't blame Google, the problem lies squarely on Microsoft for making the worst OS imaginable.

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by RedMan

11. >> The way Google Desktop Search, it's simply impossible for a remote user to access your GDS database without having complete access to your computer <<
Impossible? Yes. But, you can install a third party tool (DNKA) and activate remote access:
http://dnka.com

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Dika

12. It's popular?I don't think.

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by hunhun8

13. Hey, idiot! Do you remember the definition of the word "Public"? I'm relatively sure that people with half a brain would take that to mean that one should not expect any level of privacy with anything you do on a "Public computer".

If you are accessing private information from a public computer, you deserve whatever the next hacker in line behind you decides to do with the tracks you've left behind!

Don't blame users' stupidity on Google. This is a feature of the software. If you want privacy, go use your own damn computer (I'm pretty sure the Bill of Rights doesn't include the right to access the internet for free, nor does it include any reference to privacy).

Posted at 4:42AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Geoff