Google Can Dig Up Personal iCal Information

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Internet, Software

The Google search engine is a powerful force. We have all heard of the different ways you can manipulate the search field to find things that people would rather keep private. Now it appears that someone has uncovered another security flaw, this time concerning iCal. Now, after talking to Joel it was made clear to me that the user needs to do something in order to get their information out there. Apparently, if you publish your iCal, anyone can view it if they know what to plug in to Google. Check it out for yourself. Click on a result to view the calendar, addresses, appointments, and all. Unfortunately, many users will publish a calendar on the web to share with friends, family, or co-workers, not knowing that it would become available for all to see. Perusing through the search results, you can find personal addresses and phone numbers - things I am sure the users probably didn’t mean to broadcast across the interweb.