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story category Google Accelerator Security Concerns
And how does the service benefit Google?
(old news - 12:04PM Friday May 06 2005)
tags: security · software
Since yesterday's launch of Google's Broadband Web Accelerator, there have been a number of privacy and security debates, one centering around the fact that some users have found themselves logged into websites as someone else. Meanwhile Techdirt and several bloggers deduce that the launch is designed to use Accelerator users as sort of a grid-network to aid them improve ranking technology and explore the darker corners of the "Deep Web".

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Forums » Google Accelerator Security Concerns
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Safemaster
Premium
join:2004-01-18
Loxahatchee, FL

logged into websites as someone else

That sucks! I guess I will be uninstalling it.

rtcpenguin
Premium
join:2001-01-21
Fairfax, VA
·Cox HSI

Re: logged into websites as someone else

It seems like Google's new master plan is to harvest all of your information--email history, search history, and now browsing history.

Guess that information is a lot more valuable to google than I thought.
--
Pope Benedict XVI scrobbles, do you?

storm64007
Premium
join:2001-05-21
Freeport, NY


2 edits

Re: logged into websites as someone else

I installed it yesterday to test out and out of curiosity.
I really saw no considerable difference in speed 0n my 3 Mb down/768 upload dsl speed. The counter said i gained a 1 second speed increase on a page visit..lol.
I uninstalled it after about a 2 hour use yesterday out of privacy concerns and it certainly was not worth the one second speed increase
haas

join:2001-09-07
Bismarck, ND

Re: logged into websites as someone else

Ditto

Nerdtalker
Working Hard, Or Hardly Working?
Premium,MVM
join:2003-02-18
Tucson, AZ
clubs:
·Comcast

said by rtcpenguin See Profile:

It seems like Google's new master plan is to harvest all of your information--email history, search history, and now browsing history.
I was leery of this thing the second I got wind of it.

This has confirmed my suspicions. Google is beginning to worry me.
--
"Some people never see the light till it shines thru bullet holes." -Bruce Cockburn

iPod Shuffle=iPos


I'm testing Gmail's spam filters: Broadbandreports1@gmail.com
Spam: 6200+

voiplover
Premium
join:2004-05-28
Portsmouth, NH
I wonder if it will help me grow hair too!

major marco
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Premium
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA
clubs:

Re: logged into websites as someone else

said by voiplover See Profile:

I wonder if it will help me grow hair too!
Only if you want to sprout it on your palms.

wriley
I'M Sick Of Fixing Your Computer.
Premium
join:2001-08-30
Edmonton, AB
clubs:
Working great for me.

larytet

join:2004-11-26
Unity, ME
~10% saving in my case does not worth 10M of RAM it takes. and it is closed sourced. i am sorry i installed it. +it actually SLOWS down the access when you fecth the page first time. and difference is meaningful, like 2-3 times.

larytet

join:2004-11-26
Unity, ME

Re: logged into websites as someone else

uninstall failed. i guess i have to check my registry file who knows what they keep there

anon11213

@rlgh.wacdc01r

Advertising replacement

Perhaps they intend to provide an "advertising replacement" service where it recognizes banner ads and replaces them with one from its subscribers?
rid0617

join:2003-07-20
Greer, SC

Goodbye

It's gone off mine. I don't need that second faster that bad

LiamJunket
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Ocean City, NJ
·Comcast

Re: Goodbye

said by rid0617 See Profile:

It's gone off mine. I don't need that second faster that bad
Me either.
I only had it up for a couple hours and then uninstalled
it.

My Web Page
My Blog
Join Red Room Forum

Fatal Vector

@aol.com

Re: Goodbye


But we still got the data while you were using it. Thanks!

P2PPirate2

join:2005-02-02
New York, NY

Keep track of surfing

I heard somewhere that if you do alot of P2P, stay away from it because it will keep your log.

click_310
Eat my shorts

join:2002-12-06
Savannah, GA

Re: Keep track of surfing

said by P2PPirate2 See Profile:

I heard somewhere that if you do alot of P2P, stay away from it because it will keep your log.
Any refrences..?

Though I did notice that for some reason my emule speeds are up. Most probably totally unrelated to the google thingy...

sivran
God Save The Suite
Premium
join:2003-09-15
Arlington, TX
clubs:
bullshit. It's an http proxy.

PhoenixDown
-- Wants FIOS
Premium
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY
clubs:

can web admins choose to prevent use?

I wonder if web admins can specifically prevent the use of this on thier sites?
--
www.pulsetoday.com -- marketing forums!

Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
Albany, NY

Re: can web admins choose to prevent use?

I believe so, but only by blocking the proxy's IP addresses.

PhoenixDown
-- Wants FIOS
Premium
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY
clubs:
hmm but then are those same ip's the ones used by googles army of spiders?
--
www.pulsetoday.com -- marketing forums!

pcscdma
Chocobo Chocobo Random Battle
Premium
join:2004-01-14
Winterset, IA
clubs:

Web admins should use the no-cache HTTP header to prevent pages that shouldn't be cached from being cached. Any self-respecting proxy should follow this. A shift-reload (or equivalent) should force a page reload. Some proxys don't follow this.
The Pragma thing doesn't work on it's own. A web server needs to know how to pass it along to the HTTP headers. Some hosting providers don't do this.
--
Posting .sig
roady1

join:2003-11-13
Cleveland, OH

it matters?

I use it at work...saved the company all of 41.2 seconds so far...who cares...lol

click_310
Eat my shorts

join:2002-12-06
Savannah, GA

Re: it matters?

said by roady1 See Profile:

I use it at work...saved the company all of 41.2 seconds so far...who cares...lol
I've saved 1 min 37 sec today. Guess I can extend my lunch break by that much...
Jack Flash

join:2005-04-28
Saint Michael, MN

Ditto..

I uninstalled it after using it for about 3 hours. Didn't save me even 1 second over 3 hours.
I hesitated when I read the EULA. Basically it says it WILL collect personal information about you.
Gone Now!
Brisk
Qwest's Spirit Of Service Inaction

join:2003-07-11
Colorado Springs, CO
clubs:

Re: Ditto..

I beat you. I had it installed 33 minutes, and it saved me... 0.6 second(s) over 77 pages on my 256k DSL. And the minute and 45 seconds of my life I spent installing it, I will never get back. Nor will I get back the one and a half minutes I spent typing this up.
Thank you for bringing up the irony of the space-time & life continuum, Google.
barky
Premium
join:2001-03-17
San Diego, CA


1 edit

BSOD

Google web accelerator gives me a BSOD, every time I use it; Its not immediate though. I've done plenty of experimenting under different conditions, and the time 'till blue screen is between 30 seconds and 15 minutes, for me. The more data I move with it, the faster I'll BSOD. Seems to be a divide by zero type exception (IRQL Driver less than or equal to ...- error). Monitoring all my other system parameters, everything is in range. I think this is the first piece of software that has crashed my windows xp(unrelated to overclocking). Hopefully they clear up the issues, cause I'd like to use it.

To all those with privacy concerns of caching your logged-in info, go into your preferences and add all relevant sites to the "do not use" list. If they record all pages visited, well, theres not much you can do there.
dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
·Verizon Online DSL

Re: BSOD

1) The google stuff is user mode, should be no way it can crash the OS. It's a kernel bug if the OS crashes.

2) 'IRQL not less or equal' is not related in any way to a divide-by-zero error. It's kernel software doing something that can't be done at such a high IRQL (=kernel synchronization level).

Sid
Premium
join:2002-11-29
Santa Maria, CA

No difference & wasnt working properly with Opera

Only noticed about a second of time saving here as well. At times using opera, the web pages didnt load completely. I ditched it to after a couple hours of use. Simply no need.
--
WinXP,AVG Pro,Kerio & browsing with the big O, Opera.
glenel

join:2004-12-29
Pointe-Claire, QC
clubs:
·Bell Sympatico

Google sucks your speed away!

I regularly run speed tests on Friday afternoons, the start of the busy period in my area. Hmmmm - down to 3821kbps, but not too bad for a Friday. Downloaded and installed Google Web Accelerator - download now at 2100kbps! What gives? - I can only guess that it works like any other accelerator, i.e. APPARENT faster opening of web pages through the use of a cache. I uninstalled the Web Accelerator and am back up around 4000kbps.

Needless to say, this device is nought but eyewash.

Glen Eldridge
Pierrefonds, QC

Wooooo

@ca.us

Works, usually.

Mine just stopped working right now, complaining about proxy server.

Sites that take forever to load like worldofwarcraft.com do load faster.

The privacy concern for me is nil, since all of the sites I visit don't simply use sessions alone, if at all.

If you get a BSoD, it's probably due to faulty network drivers. I saw the same problem with the Netgear FA311 under windows XP when running WoW - never crashed before. Lo and behold, that card isnt even supposed to be used on xp.

Viper007Bond
Premium
join:2002-09-26
Portland, OR

Bah!

It really is working for me...

Load Time for 1617 Pages
Without Google Web Accelerator: 4.8 hrs
With Google Web Accelerator: 4.2 hrs

Total Time Saved: 34.3 mins
... but ugh @ the security concerns. I think I'll keep using it though and just disable it for forums and such.

I think the problem only occurs if you're logging in and/or dealing with sessions. Please, it feels weird or like I'm wasting bandwidth now if I don't use it. lol
--
I have a signature. | I also have a website/blog.

click_310
Eat my shorts

join:2002-12-06
Savannah, GA

Re: Bah!

said by Viper007Bond See Profile:

Please, it feels weird or like I'm wasting bandwidth now if I don't use it. lol
Hmmm.. the words XX.X seconds saved makes me feel better while slacking off on the job.
saluki1

join:2005-03-20
Philadelphia, PA

google accelerator

As soon as I installed the Google accelerator, I could no longer access Gmail--Kept saying invalid password at the login.
As, soon as I uninstalled it I was able to access my email with those very same passwords. A little scary.
remusrm

join:2003-04-07
Northridge, CA

none

i did try it and i did not see much improvement on the t1 line i got at work and nothing on my house. 3mb/down, 512k up. also after removing it firefox did not lunch anymore. had to reinstall it...

Titus Pullo
I came, I saw, I slept

join:2004-06-26

Question:

Who's your daddy?
GOOGLE

by the time someone installs this POS, desktop search, and a Gmail account, you're basically Google's bitch!
sayers

join:2003-01-11
Dexter, MO

Hmm...

This also sets up a proxy server in Internet Explorer. What crap.
EliteTimeWas

join:2004-02-19
Zephyrhills, FL

Google: Supplementing the CIA since 1998

You know how all those kids say "I liked _____ Band before all the other kids!"

Well I think the new thing is going to be:
"I liked Google before they released 12,182 applications that track my every aspect of life."

entropy1
Premium
join:2002-09-25
·Millenicom
·Comcast
·Sprint Mobile Broa..

Re: Google: Supplementing the CIA since 1998

Ha ha! This is really true...I liked Google when the Google Toolbar was new! That was soooo like...a MILLION years ago! Haha!

This "Accelerator" crap is just that. Crap. I have enough "Crap" on my computer already. I don't need more "Crap". I had to check it out and was sorry. What a load of "Crap". It's now "uninstalled" although I'm sure I should go dig around and uninstall it all the way.

Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ
·Verizon Online DSL

What?

Does this mean that if I login somewhere with the google accelerator on, that someone else could login as me without me even doing anything?
--
Cruising with Verizon DSL 2793/714 & The Opera Web Browser »verizon.net »opera.com

andyb
Premium
join:2003-05-29
SW Ontario

Re: What?

yes if they go the same place you did(forum for example)they could use your id because it was cached by the proxy.this only would work really on unsecure forums etc where they dont take precautions

Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ

1 edit

Re: What?

So I'm safe here at BBR?

Lostintech
Phillydude
Premium
join:2004-11-21
Philadelphia, PA
clubs:

Re: What?

said by Rob A See Profile:

So I'm safe here at BBR?
Nope. Justin should put an SSL thing at the login.
--
my good forumsanothe r good siteAim: jkam94

old dog

@ny.frontier

Er, ah, oh, dial up works great

Win xp sp2 box, never crashes except with nero updates
On dialup it has been installed for 2 days, has not crashed or hung. Initial page load is much smother from overloaded web sites.
Returns to same web site go from nothing to much faster.
This is on a really bad 21k dialup line
For some dialup users who have trouble getting some pages to load on a bad dialup line, This program may solve all your problems
On the spyware bit. All I can say is google has a better rep than most, that said.
How would you change the program keeping in minds its purpose .
hensepens

join:2001-08-02
2131 XA

We want to inform you that....

"we will log everything and will be send to google."

Well, the statement was a bit different, but when I read this i didn't even finish the installation.

I agree with earlier posts, Google starts to begin to look like big brother. There is however one difference. We have the choice to use Google-tools or not.

In this case, not.

JMarcS

@67.188.x.x

Re: We want to inform you that....

Installed it for 10 min. Did an Ethereal TCP/IP trace.
The 'tool' started to resolve a bunch of random dns names for no reason, basically mapping the hosts & ips in my company while uploading 'stuff' to a google ip... shut off the progrm and the dns mapping stopped.... scary..
I really think some of the G. tools are great but not this one...

Pass the word.. don't use the G web accelerator at work
Forums » Google Accelerator Security Concernspage: 1 · 2


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