February 7, 2005

Desktop Search: It's Not a Security Threat in and of itself.

There's been several reports explaining that some desktop search tools could pose a security threat to a user's PC - but alas this is not the case.

CIO Insight writes ...The security threat is not caused by the search tools themselves—which have been downloaded by the thousands, often under the radar of the CIO. In fact, desktop search tools do not cause any security vulnerabilities whatsoever, says security expert Bruce Schneier, founder and CTO of Counterpane Internet Security Inc. Rather, "They tell you about vulnerabilities you already have," he says. "Desktop search programs don't magically make files findable. All they're doing is searching, which is exactly what they're supposed to do."

What does this mean? These tools do something well - search your desktop. If a hacker is able to get to your PC via the Internet or physically sits in front of it you must protect your PC. If you have confidential information, ensure that the only way it can be accessed is with a logon.

IT Asia Online has a good article on this as well.

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