Re: Mac OS X's Reputation for Security Wearing Thin

["tholen@antispam.ham" <tholen@ifa.hawaii.edu>]

Rotten Apples writes:

> News Analysis: After Apple announced 18 security fixes to Mac OS
> X on Aug. 5, the reputation of the operating system as a more
> secure personal computing platform is starting to wear thin. Is
> it finally time for the company to admit that its operating
> system is as susceptible to security issues as Windows? Apple
> would be doing a good service to Mac users if it started
> advising its customers to pay closer attention to security
> before hackers have a chance to prove just how vulnerable Mac OS
> X can be.
> Mac OS X is considered by some to be an extremely secure
> operating system. Those people claim that thanks to its many
> security features, users will be kept much safer using Apple's
> software, rather than risk it with Microsoft's Windows operating
> system. They claim that proof of that can be found in the sheer
> number of security vulnerabilities Microsoft has been forced to
> patch, compared with Apple. Those same people might be
> interested to know that that logic is starting to show itself
> for what it really is: a red herring.
>
> Apple released an update to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard earlier this
> week. Aside from better compatibility with Airport wireless
> systems and enhanced Bluetooth reliability, Apple released 18
> security fixes. Those security fixes encompass issues giving
> malicious hackers access to system files, the ability for third
> parties to exploit an image link to gain access to a user's
> computer, and more.
>
> It's ironic that Apple, a company that has spent so much time
> and money railing against Microsoft for its security issues, was
> forced to release 18 security fixes to ensure its own operating
> system isn't exploited. On one hand, Apple should be lauded for
> releasing those security updates. After all, if it failed to
> address security issues that would put users at risk, it could
> only mean that Apple simply isn't doing its job. But it did
> patch those security issues, so perhaps it is.
>
> But it's not the fact that Apple fixed its operating system that
> some might take issue with. Instead, it might be important to
> consider the fact that by perpetuating the myth that Mac OS X is
> extremely secure, it could lead to many more issues for Mac OS X
> users. In the process, it could cause Apple, a company that has
> historically stayed tight-lipped on security, to admit that Mac
> OS X just isn't the secure operating system some people think it
> is.
>
> It's a Numbers Game
> Security is a numbers game. The more people using an operating
> system, the greater the opportunity for malicious hackers to
> capitalize. That's one of the main reasons why Windows has been
> such a target. In the security space, more exploits mean more
> victims, which mean more cash. In essence, malicious hackers
> want to target the pool with the highest return. Historically,
> that has led them to Windows. Going forward, it will continue to
> be Windows, given its dominating position in the operating
> system market.
>
> But Mac OS X is starting to gain some ground. Although Steve
> Ballmer has consistently said that Apple's gain in the OS space
> isn't important, hackers don't agree. They see an opportunity.
> They realize that Mac OS X is largely untested and thus probably
> quite vulnerable to security issues. They understand that there
> are few anti-virus and anti-spyware programs available to
> protect Mac OS X users. Most importantly, they realize that the
> culture that has been cultivated by Apple and its supporters
> makes Mac OS X an ideal target.
>
> Resource Library:
>
> Ignorance Is Bliss
>
> When I discuss Mac OS X with people outside of the tech
> industry, the most common comment I hear is that Apple's OS is
> safer than Windows. They claim that "Macs don't have any virus
> or spyware issues." It's gotten so bad that a local computer
> store owner recently told me that if I'm looking to stay secure,
> I need to get rid of Windows and stick to a Mac.
>
> I find those sentiments dangerous. Although I realize that Mac
> OS X has historically been more "secure," Apple's 18 security
> fixes tell a different story: Mac users are just as susceptible
> to security issues as Windows users.
>
> But how did it get to such a point where people believe the
> rhetoric? Undoubtedly, it has stemmed from Apple.
>
> Right now, on Apple's site, a security page offers a warning to
> potential Mac owners: "The Mac is designed with built-in
> technologies that provide protection against malicious software
> and security threats right out of the box. However, since no
> system can be 100 percent immune from every threat, antivirus
> software may offer additional protection."
>
> I find that alarming. "Antivirus software may offer additional
> protection"? That doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement. In
> fact, it almost sounds like users won't even need it to stay
> secure. Contrast that with Microsoft's Security Essentials pack,
> its insistence on users changing habits and its support of users
> employing third-party security software, and it displays just
> how far ahead Microsoft is in recognizing security threats that
> impact us all.
>
> Looking Ahead
>
> But what about Mac OS X Snow Leopard? Will Apple make security a
> key component in its marketing strategy going forward? It's
> doubtful. That quote from Apple's security page? Yeah, that was
> featured on the company's Snow Leopard security page.
>
> Yikes.
>
> Snow Leopard will be Apple's most-tested operating system to
> date. With an increase in users and the belief on the part of
> hackers that Mac users ignore security problems, it could be a
> hotbed for hacker activity going forward. If that happens and
> Apple's security woes only get worse, what will it take for the
> company to finally wake up and realize that the myth of Apple's
> iron-tight security can't be believed?
>
> Let's hope it's not a major security outbreak.

What does that have to do with OS/2, Rotten Apples?