Dive Summary:
- The University of Oxford blocked the use of Google Docs this week due to an uptick in phishing attempts involving the office suite, citing Google's "persistent failures to put a halt to criminal abuse" involving its products.
- Though the Google office suite only remained blocked for two and a half hours Monday to get users' attention, many in the world of campus technology feel the university went too far or could have taken other security measures while others felt that Google should be doing more to curb scammers.
- Scammers targeting Oxford used online forms created in Google Docs in an attempt to capture usernames and passwords from Oxford users, which they could then use to send money-seeking spam to others, and a Google spokesman said the company is "actively" working to halt phishing attempts involving its products.
From the article:
... “Google’s persistent failures to put a halt to criminal abuse of their systems in a timely manner is having severe consequences for us, and for many other institutions,” Stevens wrote. “If [Oxford technology officials] are alerted to criminal abuse of a university website, we would certainly aim to have it taken down within two working hours, if not substantially quicker.” ...