Shortening Urls Can Be Harmful For Cloud Services

In the report, Shmatikov writes: Security and privacy are the most vulnerable components regarding URL shortening links – particularly with using Microsoft OneDrive (SkyDrive, previously) and Google Maps. This vulnerability comes from tokens, which are embedded into URL links to link sites with information. By using URL link shortening services, you’re actually making the URL more vulnerable to hackers and malicious users – with shorter tokens, it’s much easier to hack and manipulate the codes. With having these popular programs so vulnerable, there’s no telling what malicious activity could be committed. Thankfully, companies in the study were contacted with the findings in an effort to increase security and reduce hacker vulnerability.