Google Paints Target on Its Back: Promises No Viruses In Chrome OS

Posted by | 07/23/2009 | 5 Comments

google_chrome_browser_logoGoogle’s Engineering Director, Linus Upson is promising that the Chrome OS will bring about the end of malware. According to Upson Google is “completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.”

Here’s hoping it works as advertised.

Via TechRadar

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Category: Software

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Warner Crocker is a professional theatre director, producer and playwright and also a Tablet PC enthusiast. He is also a Microsoft MVP for Tablet PCs. Send email to Warner.
  • Clayton

    That seems like an inherently impossible thing to do. But what do I know?

  • GoodThings2Life

    Sounds like “kid-proofing” a home…

  • Tim

    Let’s be honest here: The odds of Chrome OS gaining enough market share for people to create malicious programs for it are slim to none. It’s the same reason we don’t see much malware for OSX: Why aim for 5% when you can aim at 95%?

    The question here is: If Google redesigns the OS so a virus is “impossible,” how much will a user be limited in what they can do with the OS?

  • LeeN

    I think Tim hit the nail on the head, the only real native progam that Chrome OS will run is… Chrome, and as far as I know it isn’t a virus, malware or spyware (although a few paranoid people have misinterpreted auto-suggestions as being google monitoring websites you visit).

    A user will not be able to haphazardly install applications from the web, inadvertently installing a virus/malware/spyware while hoping the program will assist them in viewing unmentionables.

    Another thing to note, there was a hacking contest some time ago called pwn2own. The only browser left standing was Chrome on Vista. Safari was hacked because of a bug, and while Chrome had the same bug, it has a sandbox feature which isolates web pages so a hacker can only have access to the sandbox and not the system.

  • http://www.quillaja.net Ben

    assuming chrome OS takes off, at first only tech savvy people will use it. i’d wager (based on my own experience with myself and my habits) that most tech savvy people don’t have much or any problem with viruses and malware to begin with. grandpa and @~*cute^princess^lol824*~@ might be a different story.

    but also, i think google’s claim that it should “just work” inherently means a very limited OS–which is probably just fine. it is, after all, just supposed to show the internets, not much else, which supposedly will be all we need in the (near?) future.

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