03 Jun 2010

Google moves away from Windows

The Financial Times has alleged that Google is to switch its IT infrastructure from Windows-based systems to Macintosh and Linux.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, said the firm would benefit from added security by making this move and believes the vulnerabilities and threats associated with Windows use now make the operating system unviable.

He commented: "It's undoubtedly true that there are many more viruses and other types of malware written for Windows than there are for Mac/Linux etc."

However, he stated that this does not mean operating systems other than Windows are wholly secure, as any major switch will see more malware being created for these platforms.

The German government recently issued a statement condemning the use of Internet Explorer by companies due to Internet Explorer's role in a hacking exploit carried out by individuals in China on Google.

However, Microsoft believes the German government's warning has been far too severe, as it claimed these vulnerabilities can be plugged simply by setting the browser's security settings to high.