Report: Google to discontinue Windows use for workers

Google is planning to migrate its end-users away from the use of Windows in the wake of Chinese-led targeted attacks that raided its corporate infrastructure of intellectual property, a Monday report in the Financial Times said.

Since the attacks, which were disclosed in January and which took advantage of a zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer (IE), many Google employees have opted for the Mac OS X, while new employees are given the option of using a Mac or Linux platform, according to the report. If a worker wants a Windows machine, they must seek approval from the CIO.

The reason for the switch appears to be related to security, but some said it also has been prompted by the forthcoming release of Chrome OS, which will compete with IE, the report said.

Google would not specifically address the article, the search giant said in a brief statement emailed Monday to SCMagazineUS.com.

"We're always working to improve the efficiency of our business, but we don't comment on specific operational matters," a Google spokesman said.

The company has more than 20,000 full-time employees.

A Microsoft spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.