I haven’t been too excited about web apps. Sure, I use Gmail, Google Docs, Google Reader, and various other online tools, but I’m rather cautious about their use.

So, I log into my super secret mail URL, as I use Google Apps for Your Domain to check my email. I see that I’ve been sent an email from a friend containing a Word document.

To view the file, I click the View as HTML link that Gmail displays next to the attachment. In a new tab, the HTML rendition of the Word document is supposed to appear, but it doesn’t.

Not discouraged, I click Download Original Attachment, not knowing what is to come.

Click on the image to view it full-size

Yes, Google says that my account is now locked. Although I have planned for such a lockdown, Google denying my access to the account shocked me. Fortunately, the account was unlocked in a few minutes.

I repeated the test three times (not wanting to test it further due to Google possibly getting suspicious), and my account was locked down each time I tested it. I conclude that it is a bug within Gmail that set off the alarms, causing my account to be temporarily locked up.

The lesson? Depending on web applications to keep data secure or accessible is dangerous.

The sad part is that my story isn’t unique; many people have faced similar problems with a variety of web applications.

Remember, friends don’t let friends use web applications unsafely.