Mac Users - beware the ‘tipping point’…
August 9, 2007
One of the great things about shifting to the Intel Mac platform (for those of us that know) is not only the fascinating experience of a new Desktop Operating System that actually works (well… at least a lot more than what we were used to before), but the incredibly heady sensation of running no anti-spyware! Actually, most of us don’t run any anti-malware software… merely a fairly basic (but respectable) incoming firewall. Imagine having the whole processor (or multiple cores in many cases) at your disposal for once - ooooh ecstasy! And guess what… in the year that I’ve now been running OSX as my primary platform - I have had ZERO security incidents. Nope… not one. On my Windows machines, I’ve had a handful - and I must constantly be vigilant.
But this, of course, is NOT because OSX is inherently any more secure than Windows (or Linux for that matter)…
Originally from TechGripe! by Brett Ryland.
It is simply because the number of Macs percentage-wise is still too small to be economically attractive to hackers… but I suspect that may soon change. With articles like these floating around recently, you can judge for yourself:
Apple poised to become number three PC maker in US , Vista use grows as Mac OS X stays flat…Really? , Businesses having second thoughts about Vista
If you have read “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” (Malcolm Gladwell), you will understand that there is often a point, at which only a small change is required, in order for everything to change suddenly. I wonder what sort of additional growth in market share will need to happen for Apple, in order for the Mac to suddenly become a much more attractive target for malware? As soon as it does, any complacent Mac users are in BIG trouble.
So clearly, NOW is the time to start thinking about security. For example, make sure you always have the OSX Firewall on by default (under System Preferences, Sharing - Firewall Tab). Use a reasonable outgoing firewall (that doesn’t drive you insane with its alerts) or a program like Little Snitch (which apparently does). And start thinking about regularly using scanning software (there are a number of offerings on the market now). While no one can take away the intuitive design and usefulness of OSX, or the feeling of actually using a computer to ‘do things’ rather than simply keep the OS up to date - it is no panacea in terms of security. It is just a matter of time… quite possibly it has many as yet undiscovered vulnerabilities.
My hope is that actually, Apple is not too successful too soon - so we can live in our little ‘nirvana’ Mac worlds for just a little while longer… I rather suspect though, based on Apple’s current trajectory, that the dream is already over.
Obviously the Mac is better at avoiding spyware but I have to call BS on your claim that you’re getting constantly attacked on Windows. You’re obviously smart enough to avoid phishing scams and giving your credit card to anonymous IM’ers. But you aren’t smart enough to avoid going to questionable sites or opening mysterious email attachments?
Go and evangelize the Mac if it makes you feel good but if you want to be taken seriously then try doing it without lying.
Hmmm… normally I would say fair call. But the truth is I actually have had a number of spyware ‘incidents’ on my windows PCs in the last year - 1 from downloading a whitepaper from what I thought was a reasonable site. It took me over 2hrs to clear out without paying the $20 fee demanded for their spyware remover!
Your experience is obviously a lot less problematic… not doubt you use better security practices than I do… but I at least, have been caught out!
The security argument based upon quantity of macs is shortsighted. Think for a moment about the quality of the mac user base.
Think about media industries such as music, television, and movies, whose foundations are primarily mac. If successful, such an attack could be quite disruptive for those industries.
In summary, mac is a high value target, despite lower quantity.
Think different.
You make an excellent point. As far as I know though, there are relatively few known Mac exploits in the wild right? My point is, the high value target is only going to get more valuable as the numbers increase. Thanks for your comment.
Few exploits in the wild? You’re right, not many. In the past, crackers have unleashed their wares on the world for a laugh. Now, they sell their exploits for cash, to the highest bidder. Buy it now! Free shipping. Sad.