Google Switches to Mac, Bans Windows Over Security Flaws

Google, who employs over 10,000 people worldwide, is gradually but systematically ditching Windows across its entire company due to security concerns. According to a few sources within the company, the decision comes after news in January that Google was hacked in an attack originating in China. Those attacks used a security vulnerability in Internet Explorer for Windows.

The report was first reported by the Financial Times which cited several Google employees.

"We're not doing any more Windows. It is a security effort," said one Google employee.

Other employees have indicated that it appears that the majority of those moving away from Windows PCs are taking up Mac OS while new hires are given the option to run Mac OS or a Linux-based machine. This is a change since January, when employees were still allowed to install Windows on their laptops, but Mac OS X or Linus was required for all desktop computers.

Of course, this is potentially good and bad news for Mac users. Bad, since they may now become a target for hackers hoping to break into Google's new operating system of choice. The good news is that Google will most decidedly be even more Mac-friendly with their application development if a majority of employee computers are using the platform.

Within the company, employee reactions were decidedly optimistic, and the thought was that employees would actually have been more upset if Google had banned the Mac OS, rather than Windows.