Lightspeed Systems

In response to educators’ concerns about this new encrypted search, Google has announced that they will move encrypted search to a new hostname, so schools can block Google’s https search without blocking other secure Google apps:

To prevent students from bypassing their filters, some schools are blocking encrypted search. However, a side effect of this action is that it also blocks other services hosted at Google’s secure URL, including Google Apps for Education, and many of our other services which require authentication to keep information safe. We’re working hard to address this issue as quickly as possible and in a few weeks we will move encrypted search to a new hostname – so schools can limit access to SSL search without disrupting other Google services, like Google Apps for Education.

See full post: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2010/06/update-on-encrypted-web-search-in.html

We’re glad that this new development will allow our customers and other schools to keep searches safe and monitored (by blocking Google’s secure search) while still allowing access to the tools they rely on (by not blocking Google apps and mail). We will continue to keep you updated as the story of encrypted Google search unfolds.

Joel

Recently Google opened a new beta SSL search engine at https://google.com. According to CNET, “People who want to use the more secure search option can type ‘https://www.google.com’ into their browser, scrambling the connection so the words and phrases they search on, and the results that Google displays, will be protected from interception.”

While secure search is a nice option for consumers, it can create security and safety risks for schools.  With encrypted searches, schools are unable to:

• easily enforce safe search
• filter search results
• log searches
• block inappropriate Google video and image icons from search results

This limits much of the monitoring and reporting that educational IT staff needs to be able to conduct to ensure student safety and adherence to acceptable use policies. It also raises questions about CIPA compliance and associated federal e-rate funds.

And simply blocking the secure Google search site also blocks other encrypted Google sites, like Google Apps and Gmail due to the way Google has implemented the encrypted site. This can be crippling to schools that rely on these services for such things as hosted email and student projects . Many schools that were using Google Apps have had to block access to these services to ensure student safety and regulatory compliance.

Lightspeed Systems has been in communication with Google, trying to find a suitable workaround for educational institutions. After laying out the issues for all education users, we received this response: “Your concerns have stimulated discussion here, but the decision was to not make any changes at this time… We do continue to listen to the feedback of our users (both through you and from the schools directly) so it’s possible this could change in the future.”

If you’d like to weigh in with Google directly, please contact Jaime Casap, part of the Google Education Team.

For Lightspeed Systems customers, we’ve mapped out a couple of options: Block secure Google searches or Redirect Google web requests to other search engines. We are also working on other product updates that will help schools address this issue.

I understand the benefits of encrypted search in many situations, but it may not be a viable option for most schools, where safety on school-issued technology trumps a right to privacy. In fact, I think many businesses that monitor users to ensure policy adherence may have similar concerns.

What are your thoughts on the issue? How will it impact your school system?