Monday, February 14, 2005

'Google Hacking' Digs Up Sensitive Material

(via Search Engine Lowdown)
This Reuters story looks at the growing problem of sensitive data being readily available via a simple Google search:
Hackers have found a handy tool to take control of bank accounts, tap into corporate computer networks and dig up sensitive government documents.

It's called Google.

The Internet's most popular search engine can find everything from goldfish-care tips to old classmates in the blink of an eye, but it's equally adept at finding caches of credit-card numbers and back doors into protected databases.

...Using Google, identity thieves can easily find credit-card and bank-account numbers, tax returns, and other personal information buried in court documents, expense reports and school Web sites that contain such information.
Hackers' adeptness at using Google to access the depth of the Web to find private information has even caused speculation that one day Google might be sued by an irate consumer who has been ripped off thanks to password or file-path information divulged by Google.

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