How secure is Mac OS?

[Mustaine]

^Calm down. Percentage wise, the number of viruses written for windows is also staggeringly higher compared to mac, that makes your rant pretty much moot.

[FullCycle]

I don't have anti-virus software on any of my Macs...it's not because there are no virus but I know what sites to avoid, files and emails not to open.

at least ikaw alam mo, posible ma-virus ang Mac/iOS.
may kasamahan ka dito na mac user, pinipilit na hindi raw naba-virus ang Apple computer.

ang pinakamatindi dun kini-claim niya na mas may alam siya.

[don_]

Percentage wise, the number of viruses written for windows is also staggeringly higher compared to mac.

So compared to Windows, that answers the OP's question.

[don_]

at least ikaw alam mo, posible ma-virus ang Mac/iOS.
may kasamahan ka dito na mac user, pinipilit na hindi raw naba-virus ang Apple computer.

ang pinakamatindi dun kini-claim niya na mas may alam siya.

Well there are blinded users...within the Mac community may mga ganyan din...*** iba nag start mag Mac because of their iPods, iPhones and iPad (which i don't have, find it useless)...may ibang mayayabang lang talaga...and some of us who really use our machines for work, not only in coffee shops but at home.

[subsonicsky]

I don't have anti-virus software on any of my Macs...it's not because there are no virus but I know what sites to avoid, files and emails not to open.

I still prefer running an antivirus. There really is no reason to not run one.

In the App Store, you can at least install Intego's VirusBarrier Express. It's free, it's lightweight, and it doesn't insert itself deep into the system. Even just scheduling a scan once a week would make you a lot safer than not running any anti malware at all.

If you require on-access protection, I recommend Avira for Mac. It's free and also lightweight, and is a lot more stable than the other free major AV, Sophos.

For all you know, the reason why you might feel so comfortable is that the malware isn't showing symptoms, but is still there running in the background. Everyone can say they're doing best practices to avoid malware. But what if the malware was coded cleverly enough to force itself into legit sites, and later, into your computer? If you've been reading the news, the latest version of Flashback doesn't even need to ask for an admin password.

This is just my opinion, but I think refusing to install any sort of malware protection software is a sign that you're still blinded by Apple's marketing that Macs are invulnerable to malware. Ang daming libre dyan, pero ayaw pa ring i-install. What's that about?

Andami kong nababasang commenters sa Internet who say stuff like "Flashback isn't a virus... it's a worm. Macs don't have viruses". Mga in denial pa talaga.

[FullCycle]

Apple was widely criticised for its tardiness in rolling out a patch for the known Java vulnerability exploited by the Flashback attacks. In the end, it came six weeks after Microsoft, Adobe and Oracle released their fixes. Cupertino does not release regular bulletins. It does not rate vulnerabilities and doesn't discuss security issues until patches are available. OS X is too popular now to continue with this outdated strategy.


full article

[FullCycle]

still Apple claims they have the most advanced OS on this planet.



■■■■■■■■■■

Apple Products Surprisingly Vulnerable, Studies Find
04/20/2012


Alright, Apple fans, it's time to face the truth: Your Macs aren't as safe as you might think.

According to PCWorld, a report recently released by Internet security firm Trend Micro shows that Apple posted the highest number of reported security vulnerabilities during the first three months of 2012, leading all other OS and software vendors with 91 vulnerabilities.


full article

[FullCycle]

1 In 5 Macs Are Infected With Malware [Study Results]
April 24, 2012


Research firm Sophos recently released a claim in which the company says 1 in 5 systems out of 100,000 tested were infected with some form of malware. The study reveals that 20% of Macs carry at least one and in many cases more than one form of Windows based malware.

full article

[FullCycle]

Kapersky: ‘Apple is 10 Years Behind Microsoft In Terms Of Security
April 27, 2012


"I think they are ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security," Kaspersky told CBR. "For many years I've been saying that from a security point of view there is no big difference between Mac and Windows. It's always been possible to develop Mac malware, but this one was a bit different. For example it was asking questions about being installed on the system and, using vulnerabilities, it was able to get to the user mode without any alarms."

full article





Industry knows, this "most advanced" is just a marketing lie.

"[Apple] will understand very soon that they have the same problems
Microsoft had ten or 12 years ago. They will have to make changes in
terms of the cycle of updates and so on and will be forced to invest
more into their security audits for the software," Kaspersky's CEO and
founder told CBR in an interview at Info Security 2012.

full article

[FullCycle]

Windows versus Mac: which is more secure?
May 10, 2012

The long-running debate over whether Apple's Mac OS is more secure than
Microsoft's Windows is distorted by marketing, myth and misinformation, writes Liam Tung.

"Macs are definitely not more secure," explains Dr Charlie Miller from US IT security firm Accuvant.

"The security updates issued by Apple are issued too slow and not an any regular schedule," says Rik Ferguson, director security research at antivirus firm, Trend Micro.

But even those without antivirus to sell they agree Apple is slow to respond to security threats." "[Apple has] always been slow, it's just never really been an issue until now," says Miller.

Other reasons for the unprecedented infection is that Apple has wrongly convinced people Macs don't need antivirus, and its Java security update came 50 days after Oracle had fixed it.

full article

[Mustaine]

[techUpdate]

Apple mentioned malware for the first time ever at a WWDC keynote address.

[techUpdate]

Mac security: Apple under fire
Published 31 May 2012

Apple Mac OS's reputation for being more secure than Windows, however false, has taken a battering recently after a series of damaging incidents raised questions about the way the technology giant approaches security. Steve Evans reports.

Apple has long had the reputation that its desktop operating system, Mac OS, is more secure than Microsoft's Windows. It is not true.

[crazp]

first iMac ko.

[Agent_hitman]

^
Boss ang ganda ah... Ayos!
Bootcamp yan, pwede mag-install ng Windows OS?..

[crazp]

^
Boss ang ganda ah... Ayos!
Bootcamp yan, pwede mag-install ng Windows OS?..

Ano yang bootcamp? Wala akong alam eh.

[Agent_hitman]

Ano yang bootcamp? Wala akong alam eh.

Using Windows on your MAC via Bootcamp

[crazp]

Using Windows on your MAC via Bootcamp

Oh i see...okay na ako sa ganito. Isa pa, ayoko magrisk kasi di ko alam mga ganyan. Baka masira pa...meron naman akong windows 7 laptop eh, so just in case....

[Coderboi]

Apple mentioned malware for the first time ever at a WWDC keynote address.

All those ads about OS X not being susceptible to malware are marketing BS. The Apple fantards sure ate those up...

The primary reason OS X didn't have malware before was NOT because it is inherently secure, but because hackers wouldn't bother with an OS that had such minimal market penetration. That situation has changed nowadays as Macs become a lot more popular. Meanwhile, Windows, post XP, seems to be slowly going from strength to strength when it comes to security. Microsoft may have made a lot of snafus when it comes to the front-facing part of Windows, but I think their kernel(*) guys have been doing excellent work that trounces anything Apple has.

(*) I can't say the same about another low-level aspect though: When it comes to APIs I think Apple has also been doing a better job lately than Microsoft - specially when it comes to continuity and consistency. MS keeps schizophrenically changing their APIs - to the chagrin of developers. I should watch more MSDN Channel 9 to get myself brainwashed again in favor of Microsoft's recent moves

[crazp]

like ko ang magic mouse kasi smooth magscroll at saka ang wireless keyboard....ang liit at gaan ilagay sa lap. Enjoy naman ako sa iMac so far.