San Francisco — It looks as Google has had enough of Microsoft’s Windows operating system. With the outcome of hacking attempts earlier this year, Google is apparently phasing out the use of Windows on all its internal systems. The move is regarded as a security measure. Users are being transferred primarily on to Mac systems, but also to Linux, according to the Financial Times.
Rumors to this matter appeared earlier in the year, but CNET was unable to confirm them at the time. Even prior to their contact with hackers from China late last year Google had a policy of moving users on to Google products where possible.
As is known, Microsoft has never been an affectionate face inside the Googleplex, but Google’s engineering-driven culture and need to test its software on a variety of systems usually meant that at least some portion of its employees preferred the Windows environment. The incidents accelerated the process. The story quotes Google employees to the effect that Windows systems are distrusted by definition at the company. Some Google employees will still be able to use Windows machines, but they will have to get special permission, according to the report.
The move has, however, raised a few eyebrows among technology experts.
“Something feels exaggerated in the story to me. First, from all indications we have in published reports, the system compromised at Google… was a system on which no serious effort at security was made. Banning all Windows systems because of this is surely an irrational overreaction,” said veteran program developer and tech writer Larry Seltzer on PC Magazine’s Security Watch blog.
“(Google) undoubtedly is aware that while they may have closed one hole, many others exist, and it is only a matter of time until another incident happens again,” said TechCrunch’s MG Siegler.
Google is a shrewed enough company to know this, and also to know that Macs are not, as the FT story claims, less vulnerable to hackers. In a targeted attack such as that which compromised Google, the Mac is at least as vulnerable. Google would secure themselves much more effectively and cheaply by using Windows 7 in a managed environment.
Google declined to comment “on specific operational matters.” Perhaps as the story develops more details will be released.