Windows 7: Kaspersky: Mac security is '10 years behind Microsoft'

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A Guy

Ten years behind. I don't think so. It looks like Apple is working the problem as we read this.

Jim

I don't think Apple can just "fix" this issue. They need the experience in having hackers exploit their OS. Hell, they may even need major anti-virus providers to bring their products to Mac.

Norton has NIS and NAV for Mac and has so for a few years. With all the money Apple has I am sure they can hire as many security experts and they want. Also Kaspersky (their CEO wrote this article) has a AV for Mac.

Jim

The problem that Apple have is not in the technical side of security, they could easily buy in the expertise.

Where Apple are far behind Microsoft is in the Mind set that they and their users are in. Their whole philosophy appears to be based on the ideology, that the Unix / BSD that their system is built upon, is immune to attack. This myth is so ingrained into the User base, that I believe people inside the company are actually believing their own hype.

Unless the developers start to address this issue soon, at least in admitting that they may be vulnerable, a couple of events like the recent episode, could severely hit their market share.

Huh, I didn't think of it that way, well said.

The user is the operating systems weakest link. Any os with a dumb or arrogant user can be exploited. The mindset of a big segment of the Mac user base is that they really don't need to worry about security. Because they have been led to believe that. This is going to be a problem for them going forward because targeting their user base is more profitable now with their increase in market share. Windows has gotten a lot stronger because of the attacks against it. Mac fanboys don't like to admit that windows has made huge strides in security. I generally use Ubuntu.

It's not even that Mac fans think that it's very unlikely they can be infected. It's that many actually believe it can't happen. I know a Mac fanatic who would shoot down every Mac trojan so far as only being possible because the owner clicked on something they shouldn't. Well, DUH, that's how most Windows users get infected as well. His reasoning was that a Windows PC could get infected just by opening a web page (true), whereas a Mac could not. But Windows users also know to have AV that may prevent that.

Whether this will be a wakeup call for users, or they will continue to be oblivious, or deny, is the question. Think about it, I suspect the average income of Mac owners might be higher, and their level of protection lower. What criminal couldn't see the attraction in that formula?

A Guy

Don't forget that Macs are made for people who want things to be extremely simple where not much thought has to be given when operating their machine. In conclusion, I see a lot of PEBCAK errors coming their way. The Mac environment is broadening, and so their immunity is diminishing.

And while Windows has been slowly improving and smoothing out flaws.

If Microsoft can pull it off Windows 8 Windows 9 will be the new Mac OS X.