Google is teaming up With the NSA (National Security Agency)
Google is teaming up with the National Security Agency to investigate the recent hack attack against its network in a bid to prevent another assault.
The Washington Post broke the story last night, citing sources with knowledge of the arrangement and cyber experts. The newspaper said the NSA will help the Mountain View Internet giant analyze sophisticated digital espionage efforts that targeted Google and more than 30 other large companies, and are believed to have originated in China.
The sources said the organizations will share data to aid the investigation, but stressed that the NSA will not view the search or e-mail information of Google customers.
While Google's involvement with the NSA is sure to raise privacy questions, in part due to the NSA's controversial involvement with warrantless surveillance inside the U.S., security experts dismiss such concerns.
Fears that the Google will hand its servers over to the NSA are "completely unrealistic," stresses Alan Paller, director of research at the SANS Institute. The NSA is an effective partner for the private sector companies because it has the highest level of in-house cyber-security expertise, he says. Other agencies tend to rely more on outside contractors, raising the risk of disclosure of corporate secrets.
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