Google ditches Windows on security concerns

Google ditches Windows on security concerns By David Gelles and Richard Water, FT.com June 1, 2010 -- Updated 0123 GMT

Story

TH

 

Doubt Macs will provide much security against hackers. Probably easier to hack than Windows.

 

The world revolves around Google now!

TH

 

Aww.. Is it time to say goodbye to my beloved google?
I aint leavin Windows 'til Linux' got something like Microsoft's DirectX

 

Your not going to try the Google OS? http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html

TH

 

Use IE6 + get hacked = "omfg we need to switch to Macs!"

Really, Google? Really??

 

First off, let's be clear that Google is only switching its desktop machines to OSX (or Linux if the employee prefers). Google's server infrastructure has been running Linux (like most other major servers) for many years.

And, yes, I agree that Google should never have been using IE6. And it also might be true that a few Google employees are not very security savvy and click on malicious links, etc. However, switching to OSX/Linux (especially Linux) will alleviate these problems without having to worry about buying a bunch of snake-oil Windows AV software or spend a lot of $$$ on security teams and group policies.

 

This might have something to do with Chrome's upcoming launch (Chrome is Linux). Who really knows? But when I first heard about the China hack I was shocked that Google had Windows boxes hooked up to its critical infrastructure at all. Ergo, it's not really surprising that this is happening.

Google and M$ are rivals (Bing, anyone?), not partners, so there is no reason Google needs to be using M$ products and thus giving a rival a lot of its money in licensing fees. Luckily there is robust competition in the OS market nowadays, unlike the bad old days when it was M$'s way or the super-highway. Contrary to what that article says, Google is not going to be crippling anyone by switching away from Windows. That is FUD. Linux (or even OS X) can handle the job just fine.

 

Come on, chromatic. That's intellectual dishonesty at best, and I'm sure we both know it.

The Aurora attacks were very specifically targeted at Google employees. If Google remains as lax about security policies and still allows its employees to click on everything, Linux isn't going to save them.

I appreciate that you have an agenda of promoting Linux, but I'm sure it's possible for you to achieve that aim without resorting to blatant lies all the time.

 

Social engineering notwithstanding, I contend Linux is safer than Windows. There is always going to be gullible click happy people, no matter the technology involved, but I would rather take my chances clicking a suspect link on a Linux box than I would a Windows box. This is especially true if a few extra security precautions are implemented (like AppArmor profiles for Firefox or Chrome. Chrome is sandboxed by default anyway).

And, while it's true that M$ has gotten a lot better with security from Vista until now, it's also true that Google has no reason to continue using Windows, even if security were not the primary issue. Why should Google use a competitor's product? To me this is really a non news event..

 

At >80% of the market share why would hackers concentrate on anything but the low hanging fruit.

 

And I was under the impression that you just made the argument that switching from Windows would save Google $$$ on group policies...

It's rather newsworthy that Google is trying to spin it as a security issue, perhaps.

 

Microsoft response:-
Windows and Security: Setting the Record Straight

 

I tried it on a VM. guess what.. I got lost
all I managed to do is open Chrome by double clicking the chrome icon in the desktop.

 

Mac OS X and Linux are no magic security bullet for Google

 

Please... As for the Windows machine that got infiltrated, it was running as an Admin., with an outdated IE6... with little to no other protection in place. Of course, it got hacked. *Maybe it was even put there to be hacked...* (Gasp.)

I for one will not ever use Google OS, on a phone or otherwise, if there is even a hint it is collecting data on me.

BTW, I "predict" that Google will announce its first OS beta at the same time Apple announces things next week at WWDC 2010... they love stealing the spotlight. They have done it to Microsoft before, and it will be Apple's turn next.

As for Google employees getting new high-end Macs... yeah right... not when Google OS can be slapped on like the commodity it is destined to become.

... http://blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/2010/06/mac_security_in_the_news.php

 

You see, that's the beauty of open-source software (which is virtually alien in the M$ ecosystem). If Chrome OS phones home, it *will* be discovered very quickly and Chrome OS clones (or patches) will be released (much like Iron is to the chrome browser).

 

http://dl.maximumpc.com/galleries/androiddoesbetter/Bite_405.jpg

 

lol @ Google