Google restricting internet access to some employees for security

On Wednesday, Google began a new pilot program in which some employees will be restricted to desktop computers without the Internet, CNBC has learned.

The company originally selected more than 2,500 employees to participate, but after receiving feedback, the company revised the pilot to allow employees to opt out, in addition to opening it up to volunteers. The Company will disable Internet access on selected desktop computers, with the exception of internal web-based tools and GoogleOwned sites like Google Drive and Gmail. Some workers who need the Internet to do their jobs will have exceptions, the company states in its materials.

Some employees also won’t have root access, which means they won’t be able to run administrative commands or do things like install software.

Google runs the software to reduce the risk of cyberattacks, according to internal materials. “Google employees are frequent targets of attacks,” reads an internal description shown by CNBC. The description added that if a Google employee’s device is hacked, attackers may gain access to user data and infrastructure code, which could lead to a major incident and undermine user trust.

The description states that turning off most Internet access ensures that attackers cannot remotely run arbitrary code or easily extract data.

The program comes as companies face increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. Last week, Microsoft said that Chinese intelligence hacked into Microsoft email accounts belonging to more than two dozen government agencies, including the State Department, in the United States and Western Europe in a “significant” breach.. Google was stalking US government contracts since the launch of the public sector division last year.

It also comes as Google, which is preparing to roll out various company-wide AI tools, is trying to raise the bar on its security. The company has also been trying more in recent months to contain leaks.

“Ensuring the safety of our products and our users is one of our top priorities,” a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We are routinely exploring ways to harden our internal systems against malicious attacks.”