Educause Security Discussion mailing list archives

Re: Google Maps offering to "map our locations"....concerns??


From: Tracy Mitrano <tbm3 () CORNELL EDU>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:35:15 +0000

A couple of more institutions have responded to the NACUA query, all private institutions, one very high profile 
university, but the other two smaller colleges.  FYI …  Tracy


On Apr 17, 2012, at 12:38 PM, Basgen, Brian wrote:


We have similarly been approached by Google, and there has been some internal discussion about the pros and cons.

I find it difficult to sustain the notion that a floor plan presents a significant risk to the institution. Just two 
points, first from the venerable Claude Shannon: “The enemy knows the system.” Second, if a floor plan presents a 
significant risk, how can that risk be mitigated by the tens of thousands of students that walk the floor plan daily?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brian Basgen
Director of User Support Services (Acting)
& Information Security Officer

Pima Community College
Office: 520-206-4873
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] On Behalf Of Jeff 
Moore
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 8:31 AM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU<mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU>
Subject: Re: [SECURITY] Google Maps offering to "map our locations"....concerns??

Perhaps we are ultra paranoid with the bomb threats we have had recently
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Bomb-threat-shuts-down-Chemeketa-Community-College-139217864.html?tab=gallery&c=y&img=1
but we are trying to be very protective of our internal structural information. We even went to the extreme of removing 
particular maps of our campus due to the fact that they had shown the internal dimensions of the buildings. As with 
anything this information can be used against us and our concerns are that someone could use this information 
strategically in a very negative way. We are looking at it with the view that the internal layout of the buildings is 
not a necessity for students and when we do provide them we will provide partial views that will cover the place of 
interest.
Perhaps its a bit extreme but we have swayed toward the conservative side.

Thanks all hope this helps!

Jeff (Tinfoil Hat) Moore

CCC
On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 4:55 AM, Tracy Mitrano <tbm3 () cornell edu<mailto:tbm3 () cornell edu>> wrote:
In light of this thread, I asked on the NACUA list if Google approached any attorneys.

So far only one responded.   It was, for the record, a private institution.

Tracy

On a mobile device, please excuse typos.

On Apr 17, 2012, at 6:50 AM, "Berman, Mark" <mberman () SIENA EDU<mailto:mberman () SIENA EDU>> wrote:

Michael,

I realize that for those of whose job includes security there is a responsibility to be a little paranoid, but this 
seems pretty harmless. Wearing another my hats of being responsible for the wireless network this seems very cool. 
They are offering to map the strength of our WiFi signal in the public areas of our campus. We don't intentionally 
provide wireless signal outdoors: here in the northeast there are only 2 weeks a year that the weather is conducive 
to sitting outside and working, otherwise it's too cold or it's raining or it's too sunny to see the screen! However 
a wireless heat map of the campus would be useful to students and useful to us to see if there are areas that we 
should pump up a bit. Most campuses have centrally controlled WiFi networks and I can't see any particular security 
risk to Google advertising the (after all) publicly viewable aspects of our networks.

Am I missing something?

- Mark

From: "SCHALIP, MICHAEL" <mschalip () CNM EDU<mailto:mschalip () CNM EDU><mailto:mschalip () CNM EDU<mailto:mschalip 
() CNM EDU>>>
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:16:19 -0400
Subject: Google Maps offering to "map our locations"....concerns??


Hi Folks....

Has anyone else been approached by Google Maps to allow them to "map your campus" in detail - presumably, for student 
navigation purposes??  Here's the "agreement" that they want us to sign off on.  I have some basic concerns, but - 
then again - my concerns may be completely unfounded.  So - I thought I'd offer this up to this group to see what 
your collective wisdom would respond with....(note the italicized entry)....

Let me know what you all think....



Thanks,



Michael

Agreement
We (the “Property Owner”, “Property Manager”, or “Property Operator”) hereby permit Google Inc. (through its 
employees, affiliates or agents) to enter the publicly accessible areas of the properties described above, at a time 
and in the manner directed by our designated contact person listed in the Signatory Information area below, to 
collect Location Information.

For the purposes of this agreement, “Location Information” means Wi-Fi access point MAC addresses (also known as 
BSSIDs); Wi-Fi access point properties (including signal strength); mobile handset-generated compass, gyroscope and 
accelerometer measurements; and other related information.

Google will abide by the property access rules specified by our designated contact person.

Google must have suitable insurance coverage or self-insure for all of Google’s activities on the propert(ies).  
Google will be responsible for all costs of its data collection, and will be the exclusive owner of all right, title 
and interest in all data collected on the proper(ties).

This letter does not give Google any intellectual property rights to our trademarks or logos.  Neither party will use 
the other’s name, trademark or logo in any public statement without the other’s permission.

We affirm that we are either the Property Owner, the Property Manager, or the Property Operator, and that we have 
full power and authority to grant you the permission above.


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