Mac May be More Flawed than other OSs

According to Sophos in its Security Threat Report for 2008, Mac OS X now provides malware writers favorable ground for attack simultaneously with Windows.

The latest report reveals that during 2007, well-coordinated criminal groups targeted Apple like never before with the objective of defrauding its users of their money. With evidence suggesting that hackers are targeting beyond Windows, users of any operating system need to be extra cautious about their security.

Sophos notes that hacks specific to Mac as with the OSX-RSplug case in November 2007 that diverted Domain Name system (DNS) requests to a hijacked website represent typical instances of fresh malware targeting Mac.

According to Lumension officials, for a software supplier that focuses on vulnerability detection and patching, Mac in 2007 has had a greater number of security flaws in its operating system than that reported in Microsoft's Windows. InfoWorld reported this on January 21, 2008. Director of strategy and solutions, Don Leatham, at Lumension said that Mac OS X reported vulnerabilities in it that were five times more than the number in Windows during 2007, as reported by InfoWorld.

In an analysis, Gartner, the industry analyst company, revealed that Apple delivered more than one million computers having Mac OS X during Q4 of 2007, an increase of 227,000 with respect to the same quarter in 2006.

In a comment, a spokesman for Apple said that the firm regards security with utmost seriousness and that it possessed a great record of tracking and addressing potential flaws before they attempt to affect users. InfoWorld reported this. However, the company is always ready to take feedback about security enhancement on Mac, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, according to Sophos' Senior Security Consultant, Graham Cluley, there're gangs who are developing malware for Macs now, suggesting a big changeover. TechWorld reported this on January 22, 2008. The move has been initiated for Apple, which though hasn't yet reached epidemic proportions, it is indeed a turning point, Cluley said.

Cluley also added that if a lot of Apple's Mac users avoided downloading unfamiliar code or clicking unsolicited weblinks, then it probably could indicate hackers that targeting Mac is not financially gainful.

Related article: Mac OS X Devoid of Malware, Vexing Experts

» SPAMfighter News - 2/1/2008