Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
Google Buzz May Be Black Hat SEO Haven
Thursday, February 18, 2010 by Matt Hymel
Amid all the 'buzz,' the only thing actually stinging is
security. Whether it's security of private information within Gmail
or releasing email addresses to third-party companies, there have
been plenty of complaints regarding Google's recently activated
social expedition.
In fact, a Florida woman has filed a class action complaint in a San Jose federal court,
alleging that "Google Inc. broke the law when its controversial
Google Buzz service shared personal data without the consent of
users."
This comes after the Electronic Privacy Information Center
decided to prepare a formal FTC complaint about Buzz,
reflecting concerns outlined in a Dec. 17 complaint which insisted
the FTC investigate Facebook's current privacy
settings. Canada's Office of the Privacy Commissioner also
found issue with the privacy
concerns, confirming that it is looking into Buzz's alleged
actions.
Even with all this concern, there is one thing that hasn't been
discussed regarding Buzz's 'public' social feature: SEO, more
importantly the corrupted kind also known as Black Hat
SEO.
Cybercriminals and hackers who participate in this notorious
corruption post web links which turn up very high in any search
results for "Google Buzz." After clicking on a corrupted
search result, your computer becomes part of a system aligned with
thousands of other PCs and becomes littered with spam. The hackers
can also access online bank accounts or further their adventure of
cyber espionage.
With all of this publicity, Google Buzz has not only become an
arena of concern for consumers but a new frontier for cyber
hackers. They will be reading and learning just as much about
Buzz as the users, trying to figure out how their tactics will work
and continuing to surpass security boundaries.
Hit the link for an article from USA Today on Buzz privacy and
security concerns.
Until next time -
Matt
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
Rochester
IT Support & Consulting
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