The present invention discloses an improved method and system for indexing and searching content in a distributed computing network. The present invention also enables users to search for content on a distributed computing network, as well as on the web, via a unified interface. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed toward a method for searching content on a distributed computing network having an index of available data. The method comprises scanning cached network files in a computer that is in data communication with a network wherein said network files are generated in the course of a user's access of public or private communication networks, indexing the cached network files to generate index data, and supplying index data to the index of available data on the distributed computing network.