(MSPAlliance) - Thursday, May 4, 2006 - Sarah D. Scalet of CSO Magazine wrote in a recent editorial about using a targeted Google search, while working on a story on the security implications of Google, to find an Excel spreadsheet on a major < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />U.S. company that contained information on around 300 executives. Though the information did not include names, there was enough on the spreadsheet about titles and past work history to infer the correlating names, Scalet reported.
Scalet contacted the administrator for the Web site containing the spreadsheet, who returned her call and told her he thought he had deleted the file years ago. The site administrator never thought anyone except Web site members would access the information, Scalet reported.
Companies should be wary of Scalets story and take steps to ensure that files containing confidential or sensitive information, meant to be kept away from the prying eyes of the public, are not prone to targeted Google searches such as the one Scalet performed. The Internet is bigger and faster today than at its inception, and companies need to take the necessary IT security precautions in this age of advanced knowledge and increased use.
