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Mac Malware: Here It Comes?
Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
2006-07-24
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There's a commonly held belief that Macs are safe from viruses, if only because no one bothers to attack Apple's products. New information from the Kaspersky Lab indicates that this "safe" status may be endangered, though.
The report, which is available at Viruslist.com, appears to be a fair-minded evaluation of the issue. "It could well be said that from the start, Mac OS X was designed with security in mind," author Claudiu Dumitru wrote. "However, although this approach seems to leave far less security flaws that can be exploited, assuming that there are no security issues at all is quite dangerous. Like any other platform, Mac OS X has software flaws."
Kasperky Lab's article goes on to include a chart that quantifies the security flaws in the MacOS X over time. The results are something of a mixed bag. From 2005 to 2006, the number of "OS and Related" and "iTunes" vulnerabilities decreased, and the number of "Safari Browser," "Mail Application," and "QuickTime" increased. "3rd Party" vulnerabilities remained unchanged.
Dumitru believes future changes will not be as easy on the Apple community. "Apple's small share of the global personal computer market has, until now, protected Macs from the unwanted attention of malware authors," he wrote. "However, as Apple systems become more popular, this will change; once critical mass is reached, more malware will undoubtedly start to appear."
It's a little bit ironic that one of the Mac's strong suits is due to its lack of popularity, and that as the Apple fan base grows, it could lose this bragging point. If the company wishes to advertise truthfully, it might, in a few years, have to show its Mac kid asking the PC guy for a tissue.
Mac malware
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About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for SecurityProNews. InternetFinancialNews, SearchNewz, and WebProNews.
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