Google restricts some employees from going online
Google restricts some employees from going online to reduce the risk of cyberattacks
Google restricts some employees from going online to reduce the risk of cyberattacks.
Google will launch a new pilot program on July 19 in which some employees will be restricted from using desktop computers without Internet access.
The company initially selected more than 2,500 employees to participate, but after receiving feedback, the company revised the pilot program to allow employees to opt out and open it up to volunteers.
The company will block Internet access on selected desktops, but based on internal network tools and Google-owned sites such as Google Drive and Gmail.
Some employees who need the internet to do their jobs will get an exception, the company said in its materials.
Additionally, some employees will not have root access, meaning they won’t be able to run administrative commands or do things like install software.
According to internal information, Google implemented the plan to reduce the risk of cyber attacks. “Google employees are frequently targeted,” said an internal note seen by CNBC. The note added that if Google employees’ devices were compromised, attackers could gain access to user data and infrastructure code, which could lead to major incidents , undermining user trust.”
The note explains that shutting down most internet access ensures that attackers cannot easily remotely run arbitrary code or scrape data.
The initiative comes as companies face increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Last week, Microsoft said foreign intelligence services had compromised corporate email accounts of more than two dozen government agencies in the United States and Western Europe, including the State Department, in a “significant” breach. Google has been seeking contracts with the U.S. government since launching its public sector unit last year.
Google is preparing to roll out various artificial intelligence tools company-wide and trying to improve their security.
The company has also struggled to contain the leaks in recent months.
“Ensuring the security of our products and users is one of our top priorities.
We’re always exploring ways to harden our internal systems against malicious attacks,” a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
