Beware the Fake Google Chrome OS Download

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Google recently announced that it is developing its own operating system based around the Chrome web browser, named appropriately enough Chrome OS.For the past week there have been rumors circulating about a leakedversion being available for download. Don't believe the hype. The‘leaked version' is a fake that is not related to Google at all.
Evena trusted source like Gizmodo has perpetuated the myth that Chrome isavailable. Its tough when there is so much pressure to be the first topublish a breaking news story. Gizmodo recently reported a story of alleged Chrome operating system screen shots,but later updated the story to state that it was verified as a fake.Gizmodo pushed the story of the fake download with a story titled Google Chrome OS Now Available, Go Get It.
Thenumber of sites and individuals who are propagating the story islending credibility to the false rumor. A quick scan of Twitter or aquick search of the Web will lead to all sorts of seemingly reputable sources talking about the availability of the Chrome OS beta.Most of the excitement though can be traced back to Gizmodo. It is atrusted source of breaking tech news and it doesn't take much for anannouncement on Gizmodo to go viral on Twitter and blog sites.
Thesite in question appears legitimate in so much as it is actually on thegoogle.com domain. The site lists features like a GNOME desktop, GooglePicassa integration, and a Flash Player plugin. It comes complete witha few Google logos scattered about.
However, it is actually aproduct of Google Sites. Basically, someone created a page with GoogleSites which points to sites.google.com and populated it with basicinformation about the Chrome OS which could be extracted from publiclyavailable details Google has shared, then added a link to download someother completely unrelated tool.
To be fair, the site owner didinclude a disclaimer at the bottom stating "Chrome OS is not related toGoogle. Service is provided by SUSE Studio. Seethe license." Google hassince disabled the site for violating the Google Sites terms of service.
Chromesounds like it has promise, although the operating system market is atough sell that is already filled with dominating players likeMicrosoft and Apple. Of course, Google hasn't shied away fromhead-to-head battles with either of those companies in other arenaslike Web search, mobile phone operating systems, or web browsers.
Bepatient. The fervor over all things Google is remotely understandable,but Rome wasn't built in a day. Even Google will take some time todevelop an actual operating system. When it is actually available, I amsure you will hear about it.
In the meantime, if a guy in adark alley whispers that he has an early version of Chrome OSavailable, there is good reason to be suspicious. Google may have shutdown this fake Chrome OS site, but others are sure to follow. If itwalks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, its probably a duck. Checkyour sources and exercise some common sense before you rush to downloada fake, and potentially malicious, Chrome OS.
Tony Bradley isan information security and unified communications expert with morethan a decade of enterprise IT experience. He tweets as @PCSecurityNewsand provides tips, advice and reviews on information security and unified communications technologies on his site at tonybradley.com.