Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You?

What Does Google Know about You? And Who Are They Telling? When you use Google's "free" services, you pay, big time-with personal information about yourself. Google is making a fortune on what it knows about you...and you may be shocked by just how much Google does know. "Googling Security" is the first book to reveal how Google's vast information stockpiles could be used against you or your business-and what you can do to protect yourself. Unlike other books on Google hacking, this book covers information you disclose when using all of Google's top applications, not just what savvy users can retrieve via Google's search results. West Point computer science professor Greg Conti reveals the privacy implications of Gmail, Google Maps, Google Talk, Google Groups, Google Alerts, Google's new mobile applications, and more. Drawing on his own advanced security research, Conti shows how Google's databases can be used by others with bad intent, even if Google succeeds in its pledge of "don't be evil."

• Uncover the trail of informational "bread crumbs" you leave when you use Google search
• How Gmail could be used to track your personal network of friends, family, and acquaintances
• How Google's map and location tools could disclose the locations of your home, employer, family and friends, travel plans, and intentions
• How the information stockpiles of Google and other online companies may be spilled, lost, taken, shared, or subpoenaed and later used for identity theft or even blackmail
• How the Google AdSense and DoubleClick advertising services could track you around the Web
• How to systematically reduce the personal information you exposeor give away

This book is a wake-up call and a "how-to" self-defense manual: an indispensable resource for everyone, from private citizens to security professionals, who relies on Google. Preface xiii Acknowledgments xix About the Author xxi Chapter 1: Googling 1 Chapter 2: Information Flows and Leakage 31 Chapter 3: Footprints, Fingerprints, and Connections 59 Chapter 4: Search 97 Chapter 5: Communications 139 Chapter 6: Mapping, Directions, and Imagery 177 Chapter 7: Advertising and Embedded Content 205 Chapter 8: Googlebot 239 Chapter 9: Countermeasures 259 Chapter 10: Conclusions and a Look to the Future 299 Index 317

Which of "Your" Deepest Secrets Does Google Know? And Who Are They Telling? When you use Google's "free" services, you "pay," big time. Not in cash: You pay with personal information about yourself. Google's making a fortune on what it knows about you...and you may be shocked just how much Google "does" know about you. "Googling Security" is the first book to reveal how Google's vast information stockpiles could be used against you or your business-"and what you can do to protect yourself." Unlike other books on Google "hacking," this book covers "all" of Google's top applications, not just search. U.S. Military Academy computer security professor Greg Conti reveals the privacy implications of Gmail, Google Maps, Google Talk, Google Groups, Google Alerts, Google's new mobile applications, and more. Drawing on his own advanced security research, Conti also shows how Google's databases can be used by "others" with bad intent, even if Google keeps its promise to "do no evil."

• Uncover the trail of informational "bread crumbs" you leave when you use Google search
• How Gmail could be used to track your personal network of friends, family, and acquaintances
• How Google's map and location tools could disclose the locations of your home, employer, family and friends, travel plans, and intentions
• How Google-based data mining could help the government discover your secrets and identify your most private relationships
• How embedded Google AdSense advertising services could track you around the Web
• How to systematically reduce the personal information you expose or give away

This book is a wake-up call "and" a "how-to" self-defense manual: an indispensableresource for "everyone," from private citizens to security professionals, who relies on Google. Preface Chapter 1: Googling Chapter 2: Information Flows and Leakage Chapter 3: Footprints, Fingerprints, and Connections Chapter 4: Search Chapter 5: Communications Chapter 6: Mapping, Directions, and Imagery Chapter 7: Advertising and Embedded Content Chapter 8: Googlebot Chapter 9: Countermeasures Chapter 10: Conclusions and a Look to the Future