Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You?

Preface

The rise of the information economy dramatically shifted how we conduct business and live our lives. In the competitive world of business, the organization that has the best access to information can make more timely and effective decisions than its rivals, creating a distinct advantage. In our day-to-day lives, easier access to information and improved methods of communication enrich virtually every facet of our existence. At the heart of this revolution is the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web.

Shortly after the formation of the web in the early 1990s, its commercialization began in earnest. Online companies struggled to find business models that worked in this brave new world, where many of the traditional rules of business ...