RE: blocking Google Desktop

["J. Patterson Wicks" <pwicks () oxygen com>]

According to several sources on Google,
(http://www.sharp-ideas.net/hacking_google_desktop_search.php ,
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2004/10/14/google_desktop.html
)the Google Desktop application operates on TCP port 4664.  When it
communicates to the outside Google web servers, does it use the same
port or go over port 80 to avoid firewall rules?  The application is
banned in our environment, but you never know.

-----Original Message-----
From: full-disclosure-bounces () lists grok org uk
[mailto:full-disclosure-bounces () lists grok org uk] On Behalf Of Michael
Holstein
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 2:37 PM
To: full-disclosure () lists grok org uk
Subject: Re: [Full-disclosure] blocking Google Desktop

> I would also venture to say that they should be publicizing
> information for corporations to be able to block this wholesale
> (google desktop and gmail chat), since we all know there are financial
> institutions where people work, and think nothing of saving customer
> data onto laptops.

Agreed. I'm actually working on testing it now, to figure out how to 
write snort sigs to (detect) and/or (block) it -- assuming I can't just 
blackhole *desktop.google.com on DNS.

I might just block their ads as well (/pagead/iclk? in URLs) out of 
spite for them doing this stupid trick with their desktop product.

FWIW, we're sending out notices that this is NOT to be installed on any 
University-owned PC, violators get their machine re-imaged.

Cheers,

Michael Holstein CISSP GCIA
Cleveland State University
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