Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Much Ado About Google

By Seth Jayson – Updated Nov 16, 2016 at 4:22PM

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

Google's "serious flaw" is no biggie, and it's par for the course.

Nothing attracts scrutiny so well as size and success, so welcome to the majors, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG). Today, a New York Times story broke the news that Google's popular desktop search program contained a "flaw" that could conceivably allow hackers to view information from a user's computer.

The flood of headlines today probably won't reflect the real threat from this loophole. For a bit of perspective, consider that the flaw was found by a team of graduate students -- a pair of Seths -- and their professor at Rice University. For the flaw to have been exploited, the hackers would first have had to fool users into visiting a website. Thereafter, a small application could fool the search program into sending personal results meant for Google -- to generate advertising words -- to the hypothetical hacking team.

Imagine the horror! Complete strangers knowing that your computer contains 150 cached "Britney," "Lindsay," and "Paris" Web pages. Actually, it could also mean that, were you silly enough to store things like bank passwords and credit card numbers in a word processing file, then search for that file using the Google tool, your info could have been visible to cyberpunks.

But relax, you trash fans and security risks. According to the report, Google's had a fix for the problem out since Dec. 10, and no one other than the researchers appears to have concocted a working version of this scheme, though you can bet would-be hackers are working on one now.

While the headline writers do their best to feign shock and outrage, users and investors should remain calm. This won't be the last time you see a scheme like this surface as the (vastly overhyped) desktop search war heats up.

Remember, Google didn't invent that nifty little program -- nor Gmail -- to make your life easier. Google did that to make money by selling keywords and profit off its massive and ever-expanding database of online behavior. And you can bet that Johnny-came-next-months Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Ask Jeeves (NASDAQ:ASKJ), and Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) have the same thing in mind. That means sending as much information back to headquarters as public mores will allow. And any time there's information flowing from your machine into the matrix, people are going to try to intercept it.

Making sure that doesn't happen is part of the key war for hearts, minds, and sticky eyeballs that feed the top line. Making sure that people aren't needlessly afraid that can happen is also part of that battle. The fact that Google has yet to issue a press release in response to the flaw -- which the firm has known about since last month -- suggests that it might have a little work to do.

For related Foolishness:

Seth Jayson recently replaced his Google search bar with the evil copycat from MSN, and he knows he will get angry email about that. At the time of publication, he had no positions in any company mentioned. View his stock holdings and Fool profile here. Fool rules are here.

None

Invest Smarter with The Motley Fool

Join Over 1 Million Premium Members Receiving…

  • New Stock Picks Each Month
  • Detailed Analysis of Companies
  • Model Portfolios
  • Live Streaming During Market Hours
  • And Much More
Get Started Now

Stocks Mentioned

Microsoft Corporation Stock Quote
Microsoft Corporation
MSFT
$237.92 (-1.27%) $-3.06
Alphabet Inc. Stock Quote
Alphabet Inc.
GOOGL
$98.74 (-1.40%) $-1.40

*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

Related Articles

Motley Fool Returns

Motley Fool Stock Advisor

Market-beating stocks from our award-winning analyst team.

Stock Advisor Returns
329%
 
S&P 500 Returns
106%

Calculated by average return of all stock recommendations since inception of the Stock Advisor service in February of 2002. Returns as of 09/24/2022.

Discounted offers are only available to new members. Stock Advisor list price is $199 per year.

Premium Investing Services

Invest better with The Motley Fool. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool's premium services.