Comments on: Google – Have They Broken Hacking Laws? /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/ SEO - Search Engine Optimization | Tools and Resources Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:36:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Vince Vizzaccaro /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-9817 Vince Vizzaccaro Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:12:38 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-9817 Blake, Do a little more research, and maybe go for a decent grade. Read these, and tell me if you want to stand by your comments: http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/identity/283956-google-admits-tracking-wifi-payloads http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/14/google-private-data-colle_n_577015.html Your argument - "All Google did and has done was collect SSIDs and the HWID, which is available for anyone in the world to access." - is simply not true. They collected payload data off of the networks they hacked. What is payload data, you might ask? Could be anything. Pictures, personal files, work files, copyrighted works... Anything. I hope your professors expect more from you than half the story. Blake,

Do a little more research, and maybe go for a decent grade. Read these, and tell me if you want to stand by your comments:

http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/identity/283956-google-admits-tracking-wifi-payloads
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/14/google-private-data-colle_n_577015.html

Your argument – “All Google did and has done was collect SSIDs and the HWID, which is available for anyone in the world to access.” – is simply not true. They collected payload data off of the networks they hacked. What is payload data, you might ask? Could be anything. Pictures, personal files, work files, copyrighted works… Anything.

I hope your professors expect more from you than half the story.

]]> By: Blake Embrey /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-9051 Blake Embrey Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:45:48 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-9051 Okay, I actually stumbled upon this site while researching for my Legal essay, but I have to tell Vince Vizzaccaro that he has absolutely no idea about hacking, let alone computers. All Google did and has done was collect SSIDs and the HWID, which is available for anyone in the world to access. You do realise most devices in the world automatically scan for available Wi-Fi networks and cache the data for quicker access. This data includes SSIDs and HWIDs. It is not illegal to do it at all. It has been blown out of proportion by the media and people like you. Those who listen to the media's every world is no better than the media themselves. Do a bit of research, please, and you'll realise even your iPhone automatically scans for networks and caches the data. Okay, I actually stumbled upon this site while researching for my Legal essay, but I have to tell Vince Vizzaccaro that he has absolutely no idea about hacking, let alone computers. All Google did and has done was collect SSIDs and the HWID, which is available for anyone in the world to access. You do realise most devices in the world automatically scan for available Wi-Fi networks and cache the data for quicker access. This data includes SSIDs and HWIDs.

It is not illegal to do it at all. It has been blown out of proportion by the media and people like you. Those who listen to the media’s every world is no better than the media themselves. Do a bit of research, please, and you’ll realise even your iPhone automatically scans for networks and caches the data.

]]> By: Vince Vizzaccaro /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-6984 Vince Vizzaccaro Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:16:50 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-6984 Why would they go through all the effort and expense to take this data if they had no intention of using it? And, to continue to allow for the possibility that it was accidental is ludicrous. But, as you say, at least they have done a service to the world by warning people about unsecured networks. Really? How kind of them. Why would they go through all the effort and expense to take this data if they had no intention of using it? And, to continue to allow for the possibility that it was accidental is ludicrous. But, as you say, at least they have done a service to the world by warning people about unsecured networks. Really? How kind of them.

]]> By: A Reader /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-6965 A Reader Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:05:22 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-6965 It's equivalent to leaving your car unlocked and then complaining because someone may have only looked inside. Without proof that Google has done anything wrong with the data, regardless of whether accidentally taken or not, there are far more important things to get annoyed about. I am not trying to make it out that what they did was OK, but at least these people have been warned. They might think twice before leaving their network open to anyone within range and to access an unsecured network barely even counts as hacking. It’s equivalent to leaving your car unlocked and then complaining because someone may have only looked inside. Without proof that Google has done anything wrong with the data, regardless of whether accidentally taken or not, there are far more important things to get annoyed about.

I am not trying to make it out that what they did was OK, but at least these people have been warned. They might think twice before leaving their network open to anyone within range and to access an unsecured network barely even counts as hacking.

]]> By: Vince Vizzaccaro /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-6957 Vince Vizzaccaro Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:35:02 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-6957 I'm not sure how you can know the data was harmless. They were able to get actual personal data off of the hard drives of systems on the networks they hacked into. That data could have included anything. Was it unwise for these networks to be left insecure? You bet. But, that hardly makes it OK for an individual or a company to take advantage of the situation. I’m not sure how you can know the data was harmless. They were able to get actual personal data off of the hard drives of systems on the networks they hacked into. That data could have included anything. Was it unwise for these networks to be left insecure? You bet. But, that hardly makes it OK for an individual or a company to take advantage of the situation.

]]> By: A Reader /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-6950 A Reader Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:25:41 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-6950 The data is harmless, it cannot identify anyone unless they decided it was a great idea to put their private details as their SSID and broadcast it to anyone who wants it - anyone can easily disable their SSID broadcast. The laws forced Google to admit "fault", but the data is both harmless and publically available. The writer clearly has some bias or works for Apple or something... the end half of this article was insulting. The data is harmless, it cannot identify anyone unless they decided it was a great idea to put their private details as their SSID and broadcast it to anyone who wants it – anyone can easily disable their SSID broadcast. The laws forced Google to admit “fault”, but the data is both harmless and publically available. The writer clearly has some bias or works for Apple or something… the end half of this article was insulting.

]]> By: Vince Vizzaccaro /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-6943 Vince Vizzaccaro Wed, 06 Jul 2011 22:22:20 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-6943 Really? Your arguments are: 1) Google hasn't broken the law, and even if they did, it's a law that's never prosecuted. <em>They have been prosecuted in multiple states in the US and countries around the world</em> 2) Apple does something similar with the iPhone storing users' locations. <em>Is this the 'hey, everyone is doing it.' argument? Even if Apple were driving around, hacking into networks and stealing and storing data from the computers on the network like Google has been, that would not make Google's actions legal.</em> 3) Holland allows you to crack WiFi networks. <em>Perhaps they don't have a statute prohibiting such an act in Holland, but I seriously doubt that hacking is promoted there. And, assuming for a moment that you are right, how does that matter in other parts of the world where it is expressly prohibited?</em> 4) Other sites are repositories for wardriving data. <em>This seems to be another attempt to say that if someone else is committing a crime that it somehow makes it not a crime. I don't understand this lack of logic at all (quite glad I don't).</em> Really?
Your arguments are:
1) Google hasn’t broken the law, and even if they did, it’s a law that’s never prosecuted. They have been prosecuted in multiple states in the US and countries around the world
2) Apple does something similar with the iPhone storing users’ locations. Is this the ‘hey, everyone is doing it.’ argument? Even if Apple were driving around, hacking into networks and stealing and storing data from the computers on the network like Google has been, that would not make Google’s actions legal.
3) Holland allows you to crack WiFi networks. Perhaps they don’t have a statute prohibiting such an act in Holland, but I seriously doubt that hacking is promoted there. And, assuming for a moment that you are right, how does that matter in other parts of the world where it is expressly prohibited?
4) Other sites are repositories for wardriving data. This seems to be another attempt to say that if someone else is committing a crime that it somehow makes it not a crime. I don’t understand this lack of logic at all (quite glad I don’t).

]]> By: Excabus /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-6759 Excabus Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:47:18 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-6759 Your trying to hard to look at this in a bad light. It is... a little bit eeky that they will gather all this info and store it, BUT, it's not illegal, or atleast, never prosecuted. iPhone's are great, they keep track of ALL of the wireless networks (their SSID and MAC) along with the GPS coordinate at which it was first seen. It stores all of this on the user's phone. Does this mean the user is breaking "hacking" laws? Alot of statutes read "...the INTENTIONAL..." doing of this or that. So, you can argue you didn't know. Whatever :P My question is, where did you come up with this? "BUT, AS SOON AS YOU TAKE AND STORE ANY DATA, NOT ONLY HAVE YOU VIOLATED THAT INDIVIDUAL’S PRIVACY, YOU HAVE BROKEN MULTIPLE COMPUTER HACKING LAWS." What statutes, what country, hrm? Hacking statutes in the US vary state by state. Plus other countries may be completely different. Christ, in Holland you are ALLOWED to crack Wifi networks. An understanding of the technology and what data they are collecting will help to better appropriate a reasonable understanding of what Google actually has collected. To be completely honest, the fact google is taking pictures of homes and databasing them with street view is 1000x more threatening and creepy than them having your SSID. An SSID is just an indentifier to your wireless network. If it was supposed to be something that could be seen, etc etc, Wifi technology would of never of been created as such. Plus you should look up a few sites that are repositories for wardriving data. These are people that purposefully do what google did "accidentally" and post it all to a website for mapping by plot on a big map. Scare tactics. Quit them. Your trying to hard to look at this in a bad light. It is… a little bit eeky that they will gather all this info and store it, BUT, it’s not illegal, or atleast, never prosecuted.

iPhone’s are great, they keep track of ALL of the wireless networks (their SSID and MAC) along with the GPS coordinate at which it was first seen. It stores all of this on the user’s phone.

Does this mean the user is breaking “hacking” laws? Alot of statutes read “…the INTENTIONAL…” doing of this or that. So, you can argue you didn’t know. Whatever :P

My question is, where did you come up with this? “BUT, AS SOON AS YOU TAKE AND STORE ANY DATA, NOT ONLY HAVE YOU VIOLATED THAT INDIVIDUAL’S PRIVACY, YOU HAVE BROKEN MULTIPLE COMPUTER HACKING LAWS.”

What statutes, what country, hrm? Hacking statutes in the US vary state by state. Plus other countries may be completely different. Christ, in Holland you are ALLOWED to crack Wifi networks.

An understanding of the technology and what data they are collecting will help to better appropriate a reasonable understanding of what Google actually has collected. To be completely honest, the fact google is taking pictures of homes and databasing them with street view is 1000x more threatening and creepy than them having your SSID. An SSID is just an indentifier to your wireless network. If it was supposed to be something that could be seen, etc etc, Wifi technology would of never of been created as such.

Plus you should look up a few sites that are repositories for wardriving data. These are people that purposefully do what google did “accidentally” and post it all to a website for mapping by plot on a big map.

Scare tactics. Quit them.

]]> By: Kathryn Cantrell /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-820 Kathryn Cantrell Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:47:57 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-820 yes they make it easy and won't help. I had to get an google acct. for my droid. They (verizon) picked out the name for me. katie.can.kc@gmail.com. I set it up knew nothing about google and used my e-mail on my cell not very much. Pretty soon I find I have a dashboard,google talk,digg,nothing I signed up for plus my picture taken from facebook and Nasty,Nasty stuff on it. I can't get google to help me at all. they won't close it or sms me so I can get in to close or have tuffer computer ware to keep intruders out, the thing is I know it's my husband, pretending to be me. I caught him. He won't admitt it but it's him google talking and looking at girls and guys stuff I wouldn't show online. Do you know anything I can do? Isn't it illegal to steal an account and use it as someone else? Any help would be appreciated as I've only gotten voice-mail from them. Sincerely Kathyn Cantrlell yes they make it easy and won’t help. I had to get an google acct. for my droid. They (verizon) picked out the name for me. katie.can.kc@gmail.com. I set it up knew nothing about google and used my e-mail on my cell not very much. Pretty soon I find I have a dashboard,google talk,digg,nothing I signed up for plus my picture taken from facebook and Nasty,Nasty stuff on it. I can’t get google to help me at all. they won’t close it or sms me so I can get in to close or have tuffer computer ware to keep intruders out, the thing is I know it’s my husband, pretending to be me. I caught him. He won’t admitt it but it’s him google talking and looking at girls and guys stuff I wouldn’t show online. Do you know anything I can do? Isn’t it illegal to steal an account and use it as someone else? Any help would be appreciated as I’ve only gotten voice-mail from them. Sincerely Kathyn Cantrlell

]]> By: GG /blog/privacy/google-have-they-broken-hacking-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-499 GG Tue, 18 May 2010 00:48:04 +0000 /blog/?p=268#comment-499 Great article. Thanks for raising awareness and educating on alternatives. Great article. Thanks for raising awareness and educating on alternatives.

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