Research firm Gartner has warned enterprise users about an “unacceptable security threat” in Google Desktop 3 and has advised against its use. Google has acknowledged this concern.
On February 9, Google released an improved version of Google Desktop 3, which includes a feature that allows users to search for files across multiple computers within the same network. However, to operate this function, the application must store a copy of the files on Google’s servers for at least one month. This means that whenever users perform a search, the data will be transferred directly from Google’s servers to them. Google stated that the data is encrypted during both transit and storage on the servers.
The danger for businesses lies in how Google stores this shared information. Company data is sent to a remote server for storage and may even be shared among different users for a period of 30 days.
“Transferring data outside the enterprise poses an unacceptable security risk. It is akin to transferring intellectual property out of the company,” Gartner noted in a recent report.
“We see this as a significant issue for businesses. It is indeed a security threat, and we believe many companies will be concerned about this,” admitted Andy Ku, Google’s marketing director for the European region.
Google also acknowledged that if the Search Across Computers feature of Google Desktop 3 is activated, data will temporarily be transferred outside the enterprise, exposing it to similar security threats as email.
“In theory, this is indeed a transfer of intellectual property out of the business,” Ku stated. “We understand that there are many security concerns regarding the Search Across Computers feature. However, Google does not retain any information unless users opt to use this feature. Businesses can disable this feature.”
Nevertheless, Gartner argues that enterprises may expose sensitive documents if users lack knowledge or understanding of this issue. Google has not provided any official comment on this matter.
Gartner advises enterprise users to disable the Search Across Computers feature to mitigate security threats. On the other hand, Google suggests that the Google Desktop Enterprise version can reduce these risks and recommends that businesses opt for this version.
