K-State does not allow use of desktop search products like Google Desktop on K-State computers that hold sensitive data. If a new computer comes with Google Desktop pre-installed, it must be removed before putting the computer into production.
This prohibition is necessary because the latest version of Google Desktop has a "Search Across Computers" feature that enables users to search their personal files from multiple computers. Once the feature is turned on, your computer's contents -- including web history and files that may contain sensitive information -- are transmitted to off-campus Google servers and could be viewed by third parties.
For example, if you have a spreadsheet stored on your computer which contains student grades, the contents of the spreadsheet are being transmitted over the Internet to servers that do not belong to K-State. This may violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
It is OK to use an Internet search toolbar (such as MSN, Yahoo!, or Google) that performs searches on the Internet only.
The built-in Windows Search tool is also safe to use.While it does search the files on your local computer, it does not keep a record of your searches, nor does it store the results of your searches anywhere outside your computer.