April 2,
2008: Google (the company) has a
contract with the U.S. government to supply computer servers (hard drives)
equipped with the software Google uses to run its popular Google search engine.
The CIA, NSA and Department of Defense use these servers in closed (cut off
from the Internet) systems that hold classified information, and allow
espionage and intelligence personnel to more quickly find, and share,
information. The data is generally displayed in Wikipedia type format, so that
users can update it.
The
intelligence agencies have found that Google search and the Wikipedia format are
popular with their staff and analysts. Thus using Google and wiki type software
was the easiest way to build a more efficient data storage and retrieval
system. The only downside is that the data is only available at buildings where
the special servers are located, and hooked up to a cabled (not wireless)
network.
