Spending a day without the internet is a task that is beyond our imaginations, let alone not using it at work. But Google seems to differ a little. In a recent turn of events, Google was found to be enlisting employees to work without internet access. In a pilot programme announced in the early hours of Wednesday, the tech giant asserted that it would restrict some employees access to the internet on desktop PCs.
Also Read: US government’s email accounts hacked, Microsoft links it to China
After receiving feedback, the company altered the programme to allow employees to opt out and to welcome volunteers. Initially, the company had chosen more than 2,500 employees to participate. On a small number of desktop computers, the company will turn off internet connectivity, with the exception of internal web-based tools and Google-owned services like Google Drive and Gmail. The firm indicated in its materials that some employees who depend on the internet for their jobs may receive exceptions.
Further, some employees will not have root access. This means that they will not be able to run administrative commands or perform tasks like installing software.
The aim of this programme is to tackle cyberattacks. The company wishes to reduce the risk of such attacks. According to an internal description that was accessed by CNBC, it was asserted that “Googlers are frequent targets of attacks.”
The description further expressed that if a Google employee’s device is compromised, the attackers might have access to user data and infrastructure code, which could lead to a significant incident and erode user trust. The description explained that by disabling the majority of internet connectivity, attackers will be unable to remotely execute arbitrary code or steal data.
The programme is introduced at a time when businesses experience more advanced cyberattacks. Microsoft claimed last week that two dozen federal institutions, including the State Department, in the US and Western Europe had their company email accounts compromised by Chinese espionage in a “significant” incident. Since establishing a public-sector subsidiary last year, Google has been vying for contracts with the American government.
According to U.S. officials and Microsoft, Chinese state-linked hackers reportedly gained access to the email accounts of roughly 25 organisations, including at least two U.S. government institutions. Juke Sullivan claimed in an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America that U.S. authorities were able to identify the hack very quickly and were able to stop any other breaches. The U.S. State and Commerce departments are among the affected organisations.
Also Read: Russia bans iPhones, Apple devices over U.S. spying concerns
What’s more, Google’s internet-free pilot programme comes at a time when Google is working to strengthen its security and is getting ready to push out a number of AI technologies across the entire organisation. Additionally, the tech giant has been working harder recently to stop leaks.
As reported by CNBC, in an emailed statement, the company said, “Ensuring the safety of our products and users is one of our top priorities. We routinely explore ways to strengthen our internal systems against malicious attacks.”
Follow FE Tech Bytes on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook
