Clicking Through the Cloudy Relationship Between US Feds and Google

Clicking Through the Cloudy Relationship Between US Feds and Google

Clicking Through the Cloudy Relationship Between US Feds and GoogleOn September 5, 2013, Google asked a federal judge to dismiss a class action lawsuit against Google Gmail, stating electronically scanning the content of emails has been “ordinary business practices” since Gmail’s inception. The lawsuit, originally filed in May 2013, accuses Google of illegally opening and reading emails in violation of California's privacy laws and federal wiretapping statutes.

“This company reads, on a daily basis, every email that's submitted, and when I say read, I mean looking at every word to determine meaning,” Texas attorney Sean Rommel, who is co-counsel for plaintiffs suing Google, told the Associated Press. He further stated, “Data could be used for more than just targeting advertising, although the parts of the lawsuit discussing what more Google might be doing with private information is currently under seal.”

Turns out Google is an ECS provider. For those who aren’t familiar with those letters, ECS is the abbreviation for Enhanced Cybersecurity Services—a “voluntary information sharing program” operating from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and to thwart “unauthorized access, exploitation or data exfiltration.” DHS works with other federal cybersecurity organizations “to gain access to a broad range of sensitive and classified cyber threat information.”

One such federal cybersecurity organization likely involves the National Security Agency (NSA). In fact, Google reached out to the NSA in 2010 after allegedly hacked by China. In a 2010 article posted by Wired and sourcing The Washington Post, the China hack may have been a smokescreen used by Google to justify its relationship with NSA. Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Marc Rotenberg told Wired, “What they’ve told you is that this is about an investigation of a hack involving China. I think and have good reason to believe that there’s a lot more going on.”

Google’s relationship with NSA remains cloudy (no pun intended). A 2011 report by Consumer Watchdog discloses millions of dollars paid to Google through contracts by various U.S. government agencies, including NASA, the FCC and the Justice Department’s DEA. In 2012, Google received a $35 million contract to run the U.S. Department of Interior.

Ironically, The Washington Post reported September 7, 2013, which was two days after Google released its Motion to Dismiss the Gmail lawsuit that Google was “racing to encrypt the torrents information that flow among its data centers” against government snoops, which include the NSA. “Google’s encryption initiative…was accelerated in June as the tech giant struggled to guard its reputation as a reliable steward of user information amid controversy about the NSA’s PRISM program, first reported in The Washington Post and the Guardian [June, 2013]. PRISM obtains data from American technology companies, including Google, under various legal authorities.”

The Post further reported, “Communications between services—when an e-mail, for example, is sent from a user of Gmail to a user of Microsoft’s Outlook mail—are not generally encrypted, appearing to surveillance systems as what experts call ‘clear text.’”

Eric Grosse, vice president for security engineering at Google, told The Post that Google resists government surveillance. “This is just a point of personal honor,” Grosse said. “It will not happen here.”

Really?

Perhaps the great irony is the Internet giant that earns billions from information delivery doesn’t seem to understand the importance of timing and basic public relations.

Photo Credited to Annette Shaff / Shutterstock.com.

Featured

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies: Uniting Human Risk Management and Security Awareness Training

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

  • Report: 1 in 3 Easily Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found on Cloud Assets

    CyCognito recently released new research highlighting critical security vulnerabilities across cloud-hosted assets, revealing that one in three easily exploitable vulnerabilities or misconfigurations are found on cloud assets. As organizations increasingly shift to multi-cloud strategies, the findings underscore significant security gaps that could provide attackers with potential footholds into networks. Read Now

  • Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

    Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility. Read Now

  • Paving the Way to Smart Buildings

    In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, the convergence of on-prem, edge and cloud technologies are critical. The physical security landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid digitalization of buildings and the evolving needs of modern organizations. As the buildings sector pivots towards smart, AI and data-driven operations, the integration of both edge and cloud technology has become crucial. Read Now

  • The Cybersecurity Time Bomb

    If you work in physical security, you have probably seen it: a camera, access control system, or intrusion detection device installed years ago, humming along without a single update. It is a common scenario that security professionals have come to accept as "normal." But here is the reality: this mindset is actively putting organizations at risk. Read Now

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities