Running head: ARTICLE REVIEW 1

Article Review

Law 421

ARTICLE REVIEW 2

Article ReviewThe article we will be reviewing is called Cyber attack on Google Said to Hit

Password System. The article was written by John Markoff and was published on April

nineteenth of two thousand and ten. This review will give a brief summary of the article,

identify the legal business issues raised in the article, and finally the article will discuss

how the legal issues affect the business.

ARTICLE SYNOPSIS

In January of 2010 Google was the victim of a cyber attack. The interloper was

able to access and steal information from Google’s computer systems. The main item

stolen was “a password system that controls access by millions of users worldwide to

almost all of the company’s Web services, including e-mail and business applications

(Markoff, 2010).” The intruder was able to gain access to Google computer systems

because an employee in China while using the Microsoft Messenger program opened

an email sent by the interloper; the employee then clinked on a toxic link which gave the

interloper access to the system. Since the theft of the intellectual property Google has

since changed its policy towards China and made security changes to its computer

systems.

LEGAL ISSUE

Since the attacks have been linked to two computers located in China the legal

business issues raised in the article are a breach of contract between Google and the

Chinese government. This move would further stress on the relationship between the

United States and Chinese government. However both parties are willing to establish

talks in which the contract between the two entities will be renegotiated and prevent a

possible breakdown in international relations.

ARTICLE REVIEW 3

MANAGERIAL PERSPECTIVE

The computer systems problems could have been avoided. For example “the

software is intended to enable users and employees to sign in with their password just

once to operate a range of services (Markoff 2010).” The company should have put

different security measures in place not one single sign on that give the user unlimited

access to confidential information. Also setting restrictions on what websites and links

that can be access from company computers could have made it harder for intruders to

steal company information. Because of the enormous sum of digital information Google

stores in a cluster of computers, the legal issues that could affect the business are

potential lawsuits from millions of individuals and businesses. Another issue the

company could be dealing with in the future is copyright infringement.

Reference

ARTICLE REVIEW 4

Markoff, J. (2010, April 19). Cyber attack on Google Said to Hit Password System. The

New York Times. Retrieved from

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/technology/20google.html

Jacobs, A. Helft, M. (2010 January 12). Google, Citing Attack, Threatens to Exit China.

The New York Times. Retrieved from

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/world/asia/13beijing.html

Melvin, S. P. (2011). The Legal Environment of Business: A Managerial Approach:

Theory to Practice (1st ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook

Collection database.

University of Phoenix. (2012). Article Review Format Guide. Retrieved from University

of Phoenix, LAW421 website.