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May 02, 2006
Dark clouds threaten Mac security
What with the SANS Institute reporting that in the security world, more and more pieces of sky have been falling to earth, and that the Mac's reputation as a more secure alternative to Windows is in "tatters" - but, well, it IS still more secure than Windows - the news that Apple isn't exactly racing to fix vulnerabilities hardly boosts one's confidence, does it?
Having had long experience with Apple's insouciant disregard for such things as customer support, and its apparent belief that any faults in its products have been deliberately manufactured by their users and/or the handful of journalists who dare to criticise them, we're not exactly surprised to learn that according to the Washington Post's Brian Krebs, Apple averages 91 days to patch vulnerabilities - which puts them months behind Linux vendors - that Apple security advisories don't assign severity levels, and that the company is much better at issuing assurances than helpful data.
The implications are more disturbing, given the arrival of trojans that affect OS X, increasing interest by the malware industry in the world of Apple, and the fact that with [how does Apple put it again?] "more and more people buying and loving Macs" the Bootcamp program means that (a) nasty stuff could enter those much-loved computers by way of Windows, and wipe out stuff on the Mac partition, and (b) a lot of Mac users inhabit a planet called Denial, where, as e.e. cummings might have said, no-one ever cries, "everyone's in love, and flowers pick themselves".
Footnote: If you happen to be one of those folks who buy and love Macs, please spare us the usual Mac hater label and other assorted items of splenetic rage. We buy and love Macs too. Alas, that doesn't automatically qualify Apple for corporate sainthood.
Posted by cw at May 2, 2006 10:16 AM
Comments
Not what Apple thinks - http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/ and choose the Viruses ad.
Posted by: anandasim at May 3, 2006 12:06 AM
Posted by: Damian Halloran at May 3, 2006 03:01 PM
interesting reading the slashdot response to the macs are succeptible article, basicaly the guy pushing the flaws doesn't really understand what hes talking about, which makes him just the same as me. All i know is that i nor anyone i know who owns a mac has ever got a virus. maybe the new macs will be more open to attack but until every windows user i know is free of the hassle of having to know enough tech to constantly run a defence against virus problems i'll back in osx...
Posted by: beeso at May 3, 2006 03:06 PM
Someone will write some virus that spreads on Windows yet mounts HFS+ partitions to delete/alter files on them? I think not.
Posted by: Greg at May 3, 2006 03:32 PM
I like Macs too, but an not enamoured with the company. I have found it indifferent to this user's continous problems with his iMac. They have a lot to learn about customer service.
Posted by: Robin Helmond at May 3, 2006 10:47 PM
sure but i hate it when percieved problems about hardware which is pretty much designed by the us arm of the company is lobbed in with what is obviously a pretty poor culture in athe apple au arm of cust service...
Posted by: beeso at May 4, 2006 01:34 PM