Will Google's OS Make the Desktop Safe

"Given the sheer volume of security failures found in all of Google's client-side applications [that] we have assessed, we find it unlikely that Google has suddenly found a silver bullet," Hansen says.

In designing Chrome, Google started with the assumption that the browser would be compromised. Google therefore structured its rights so that Web apps can run, but they can't read or write files to the system. For an OS, that concept will have to be carried out across the desktop. Microsoft has wrestled with variable user privileges within Windows, while Linux users, for the most part, operate just fine with limited user privileges. Applications written for the Chrome OS might be further sandboxed so that they too have limited privileges.

A serious unknown is . When the Chrome browser debuted last fall, Google claimed it owned all the content displayed on its browser, but the from that policy. Google does still collect data entered into the browser's address bar and search fields, so it'll be interesting to see what the company chooses to collect from its new OS.

In the end, it may not matter what Google does or does not do with the Chrome OS. Linux, even with commercial editions like Ubuntu and Red Hat, still holds only a relatively small percent of the OS market. Google may not make much progress beyond that. A lot will depend on the demand for new applications designed to run on the Chrome OS and the real and perceived security benefits afforded by its design.