Common Sense Observations

If Google Can Get Cyber-Attacked, Who’s Next?

Google is the undisputed king of the internet search engine world. Google is so big, so popular and so well known that the term “Googled” has forever taken a place in the modern lexicon.

Google owns YouTube, which it purchased for a hefty $1.7 billion. YouTube is the number one video sharing facility in the world. That puts Google at the top of that heap, also.

Google Maps, most specifically their satellite views, are regularly used on cable and network TV news shows. Chalk up one more arena in which Google leads the pack.

Google has dozens of free, useful programs for computer users; its own browser, Chrome; free Gmail that includes more storage than anyone could possibly ever use; and popular programs allowing website owners to share in Google’s advertising profits.

Even those who don’t much care for Google will admit that the search engine giant has managed to stay slightly ahead of the curve in all things internet, and most things computer related. Even Google’s approach to employee treatment and relations is bordering on legendary, and is the envy of tech workers everywhere.

The point is that Google is gigantic, and absolutely leading edge when it comes to technology – especially technology online. Their army of high tech specialists includes divisions of engineers, designers, programmers, code writers and more. Their intellectual property secrets are better guarded than the formula for Coke. Despite all of these things, Google is not able to defend itself against cyber-attacks. Whether or not you use Google, this should be a matter of some concern to you.

The recent, sophisticated cyber-attack on Google, which allegedly was initiated in Taiwan, has had a great deal of fallout. The most talked about is Google’s announcement that it might stop doing business in China. Getting less mention is that Google may have had some of its intellectual properties stolen. And getting almost no mention at all is the most obvious reason for concern: if Google can get hacked, what other businesses and companies can be attacked?

If someone hacked my Gmail account, well, I might suffer a few moments of embarrassment regarding personal correspondence, but no harm done, really. Hackers may have even gotten into the documents I’ve written on and stored in Google’s free word processor. Again, no harm done – not really. But what if these same “sophisticated” cyber-attacks are directed at my bank, or my credit card companies?

It’s hard for me to believe that my bank has the technological wherewithal that Google possesses. Of course I use a small, local bank with rather antiquated and cumbersome online banking facilities. Hardly a prime target for high level hackers. But my credit cards are with larger banks. Banks that might well appeal to hackers with the proper skills and resources at their disposal. Again, I refuse to believe that these mammoth banks have anywhere near the tech support of Google. That said – I am increasingly concerned for the safety of my banking information.

There’s not really very much I can do to allay my concerns. I did go around and change all my passwords, ensuring to use very strong new passwords. Thanks to Roboform Password Manager, that was pretty easy. But other than that, all I can do is wait and watch – and hope that my financial institutions are not targeted. That’s about all any of us mere mortals can do about such things. It’s the downside of technology: we’ve put ourselves at the effect of a whole lot of things we cannot control, and that we do not understand – at all.