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Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

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Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#411

Post by mehrdada »

lonelappde wrote: post #381
mehrdada wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd seriously doubt more than a few of people at Google would want to use 365 at work. I for one never felt the need when I was there nor afterwards and the entire company is fully utilizing Google Docs which is a better product as far as sharing and search is concerned. It's not like people at Google constantly email .docx files to each other, lol. Nevertheless, you can request it (in an AppStore like fashion, not s…

Docs is good at sharing and searching, but bad at editing. Anything over a few pages brings a workstation to its knees.

For workplace collaboration, sharing is the highlight, not formatting (unless you're designing for paper-based publication). I have to say the few times I encountered the browser-based Word 356, it felt like total shit. Cannot imagine anyone really using it if they have the desktop app installed. Seems like a checkmark product and the real users end up using the full app version. I've even heard this from friends at Microsoft.

Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#412

Post by freepor »

annie_chung wrote: post #400
QUFB wrote: post #83

Some thoughts: 1. Google's threat model may not be your threat model, and it definitely isn't the threat model of my daughter's school. A corporation like Google may be concerned using native applications, written in unsafe languages, written by developers from other corporations in China. That said, Zoom isn't wrong for everyone. 2. Google is motivated to push their own solution for obvious reasons. 3. Tavis, or oth…

> That said, Zoom isn't wrong for everyone. Why use it at all? I honestly don't know what's available in this space, since I don't need to, but is there really no alternative? If they're building a product that does shady things (e.g., macOS install nonsense) and is full of security holes (e.g., zoombombing) that's enough to tell me I don't want to use it and I don't want my son's school using it. Google isn't alone…

Some of us don’t have security as a high priority. I for example wouldn’t really mind if my computer’s entire contents were published at nytimes.com. What I care about right now is my kids getting to see their family over Zoom or whateverx

Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#413

Post by neves »

jMyles wrote: post #103
QUFB wrote: post #83

Some thoughts: 1. Google's threat model may not be your threat model, and it definitely isn't the threat model of my daughter's school. A corporation like Google may be concerned using native applications, written in unsafe languages, written by developers from other corporations in China. That said, Zoom isn't wrong for everyone. 2. Google is motivated to push their own solution for obvious reasons. 3. Tavis, or oth…

> Google's threat model may not be your threat model, and it definitely isn't the threat model of my daughter's school. A corporation like Google may be concerned using native applications, written in unsafe languages, written by developers from other corporations in China. That said, Zoom isn't wrong for everyone. Google's threat model surely differs in some way from a school, but the specific threats you named seem…

My children's school is using Microsoft Teams for classes. The students are:

- kicking out their colleagues

- muting the teacher

- posting memes in the chat room

It looks like you can't prevent them from muting/kicking out each other. There's a larger threat surface of mean pre-adolescents, than a hacker trying to steal their info.

Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#414

Post by sgt »

I prefer Zoom primarily because of two things:

1. We used google meet a lot, but it's very CPU intense and also does not run in Safari so I have to start Chrome to run it 2. It's a better UI and Video Conf experience, hands down.

I realize that it has issues but nothing truly major as far as I can see.

Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#415

Post by hyko »

freepor wrote: post #412
annie_chung wrote: post #400

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That said, Zoom isn't wrong for everyone. Why use it at all? I honestly don't know what's available in this space, since I don't need to, but is there really no alternative? If they're building a product that does shady things (e.g., macOS install nonsense) and is full of security holes (e.g., zoombombing) that's enough to tell me I don't want to use it and I don't want my son's school using it. Google isn't alone…

Some of us don’t have security as a high priority. I for example wouldn’t really mind if my computer’s entire contents were published at nytimes.com. What I care about right now is my kids getting to see their family over Zoom or whateverx

I think we’re probably at the point where it doesn’t matter what your personal threat model is: your insecurity affects everyone, so nobody has the luxury of not caring about it (much like vaccination against disease). It is a matter of collective and national security.

Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#416

Post by fnord123 »

mattip wrote: post #385
jMyles wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The threat model for a school is kids/others disrupting sessions and creepers using access to gawp at (or communicate with kids). Not if the school actually cares about the future of its students. From a blog post[0] we published at NuCypher a while back: > If we fail to take action now, we risk a world in which unsavory actors - domestic and foreign - have built rich, comprehensive profiles for every one of our ch…

Is Google or Facebook any better in this regard?

I got confused and thought he was talking about Google. The results already exist via Cambridge Analytica.

It's like the old 5G debate in Europe: who do you want to have a backdoor: Cisco+USA or Huawei+PRC? (Hint for Americans: some/many see China as less malevolent).

Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#417

Post by hyko »

It doesn’t matter what your personal threat model is: these videoconferencing apps have become de facto critical infrastructure for many countries almost overnight with no scrutiny and a joke security posture, because the IRL channels they replace are unavailable. This has dire implications for all of us, both in terms of espionage and the potential for massive disruption.

Threat modelling is fine for your home security, but it is now dangerously anachronistic when evaluating anything connected to the internet. One solution would be to at least educate people about the need for a security mindset on a massive scale, or at worst craft some laws to force it.

I’m sure there are many people who would accept the risks of drink driving: we don’t let them.

Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#418

Post by aembleton »

hyko wrote: post #415
freepor wrote: post #412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of us don’t have security as a high priority. I for example wouldn’t really mind if my computer’s entire contents were published at nytimes.com. What I care about right now is my kids getting to see their family over Zoom or whateverx

I think we’re probably at the point where it doesn’t matter what your personal threat model is: your insecurity affects everyone, so nobody has the luxury of not caring about it (much like vaccination against disease). It is a matter of collective and national security.

Why is it a matter of national security if my weekly beer meetup (to replace the pub) is watched over by some Chinese spy?

Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#419

Post by ric2b »

briandear wrote: post #320
penagwin wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand Microsoft Office is still used today - and is still the #1 office suite, especially with Excel. They've since cleaned up most of their security issues (I'm sure some exist, but it's not nearly as bad as it used to be). The problem with Office and Zoom is that they are _the best_ at what they do right now. And that has a massive impact on what people are willing to give up to use it (money, privacy,…

Other than pivot tables, what makes Office better than iWork?

iWork doesn't even have a [pro scene](https://youtu.be/xubbVvKbUfY)

Re: Google bans Zoom from employees' computers

#420

Post by rand49an »

neves wrote: post #413
jMyles wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google's threat model may not be your threat model, and it definitely isn't the threat model of my daughter's school. A corporation like Google may be concerned using native applications, written in unsafe languages, written by developers from other corporations in China. That said, Zoom isn't wrong for everyone. Google's threat model surely differs in some way from a school, but the specific threats you named seem…

My children's school is using Microsoft Teams for classes. The students are: - kicking out their colleagues - muting the teacher - posting memes in the chat room It looks like you can't prevent them from muting/kicking out each other. There's a larger threat surface of mean pre-adolescents, than a hacker trying to steal their info.

All these things can be stopped with the Teams policies which can be set by the Teams owner (probably the teacher).

Better education regarding these tools is required for sure.

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