Microsoft program manager Stephen Toulouse, in a series of entries on his personal blog, has challenged Apple to hire a security czar and revamp the way information is disseminated when Mac OS X security updates are released.
“Look, the only way you can tackle security issues is by getting out ahead of them and clearly communicating to your users the threat, and the clear guidance on how to be safe,” Toulouse said. “Here’s the reality, for the next couple of years the Mac OS will experience increasing security threats and mark my words, the company will have to seek outside expertise in the form of a head of security communications in the next 12 months,” Toulouse added. The program manager said Apple needs a person “steeped in security issues, true technical analysis, [someone who] can lead a good security team to get good guidance out there,” according to a report from eWeek.com.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: What’s next, Donald Trump advising Patrick Dempsey on hair styling? Rob Glaser lecturing Jack LaLanne on physical fitness? William Hung as Pavarotti’s voice coach? The size of Microsoft’s cojones sometimes defy description.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jim” for the heads up.]
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Related articles:
BusinessWeek: Apple should hire security czar to combat uninformed media FUD – March 09, 2006
Spate of recent Mac security stories signal that Microsoft, others getting nervous – March 06, 2006
Wired News: ‘Mac attack a load of crap’ – February 22, 2006
Ars Technica: Fears over new Mac OS X ‘Leap-A’ trojan pointless – February 20, 2006
Mafiasoft: Microsoft to charge $50 per year for security service to protect Windows – February 07, 2006
Hey, cut him some slack. He is just hoping for a new job opportunity at Apple. Afterall, Microshit aint doing too good right now.
I think the dude is fishing for a job…
Sorry you don’t get into Apple by critizing them publically. You go pitch yourself to human resources.
Apple has had some problems with security, if the increase of market share does come with more malware and exploits, perhaps it would be good for Apple to take some advice.
Roughly translated, “Please hire me, if there’s anything I know as a Microsoft employee its viruses. . .”
“cajones?” ah, no …. “cojones!!!” (bollocks!!!)
Look who is Oinking???
Those who teach, look at them self. As if they have a better security system. Cough cough bfshit bfshit….
Q-Bert, what problems with security?
I keep hearing this but I haven’t seen anything that wasn’t quickly addressed or completely blown out of proportion.
One so-called virus was simply a program that you had to give administrative permission to twice before it did anything and I couldn’t believe the press that thing got.
I am definitely not a apple-can-do-no-wrong kind of guy, but I have friends whose Windows systems were simply inoperable because of all the virus that somehow snuck through their defenses.
I would honestly like to know what security issues Mac OS X has encountered because I don’t know of any that could be called serious or even “problems”.
Look at them self before they preach….
As if they have a better security system
Cough cough bfshit bfshit…..n..bfshit bfshit. Excuse me, where is my cough syrup?
Let’s see if I got this straight.. Apple is at fault because it doesn’t advise people of problems that don’t exist. Microsoft advises people of problems it creates and of solutions to the problems it creates which create further problems that they… etc etc etc. And thereby Microsoft sets the industry standard for doing the right thing and being good guys?
Do these turkeys have to go to stupid school or were they just born that way.
Why would anyone listen to a person in charge of the most insecure OS on earth?
Is like a coach from a loosing team advsing a winner how to win
Weird that MDN even bothers to print it
Sounds like Stephen is looking for a job.
Looks like MDN is fishing for hits again…
for the love of God!! it’s losing, not loosing. Loosing is “to set free, or let loose” losing is ” to fail, to be beaten etc.
Looks like MDN is fishing for hits again…
—
HOW DARE THEY POST NEWS STORIES!
fuzzmanmatt, Scarbro,
I’d agree. And who’d blame him eh.
I am afraid that when you are dominant you rewrite history to suit yourself and disillusioned enough to even believe it. From that arrogance comes the capacity to lecture others. As in politics, from there on do self obsessed dictators emerge, and unquestioning yes men follow in their wake.
where´s the problem
takes one to know one, i say:
If anyone at all has a fair share of expertise in what damage bad security ( and bad communcation of said security holes) can do, it is Microsoft.
Just because it is MS giving advice, I wouldn´t outright ignore it.
macaholic
Thank you for your concern.
I have a loose keyboard
If he’s after the job… then he has just made quite sure he’ll never get it.
More evidence of Microsoft the Arrogant, who can’t see further than their own bank account…
He must live in a glass house lined with stones on the outside.
Spyinthesky, that is the most intelligent comment I ever read on MDN.
Q-Bert, what problems with security?
I keep hearing this but I haven’t seen anything that wasn’t quickly addressed or completely blown out of proportion.
That’s the problem this guy is talking about, Apple doesn’t communicate the level of the threat to consumers, what they need to do etc., etc. before a patch is ready.
Apple’s policy is to say nothing until a patch is ready, not even updating people”s computers to turn off “safe files” and isolating Ternimal.
Folks are left to scrounging websites and posts by people for sometimes innacurrate information or just plain propoganda for all these exploits.
Apple has not have the level of security problems or the experience like Microsoft has had. That’s why this guy wants to bring his experience in these things to Apple and probably get paid well for it.
Apple has had a bad track record of exploits with Mac OS X, perhaps shoddy programming, perhaps just dumb behavior, or perhaps it’s true that with increased market share comes more attacks.
Mac OS X is no longer a 100% solid OS and we were living in a dream world that it was. We can’t be fooling ourselves anymore.
One or two mistakes is fine, but there has been a rash of exploits with Mac OS X.
The trust in the competance of Apple to produce a secure OS has been shattered completely.
http://secunia.com/product/96/
We are all feeling for the underdog, our favorite platform, our quirky little company. But they have failed miserably and now experienced people at Microsoft see a opportunity to bring what knowledge they know to a company who has no experience dealing with these things.
Here, read this article, it’s dead on.
http://www.it-observer.com/articles/1084/mac_viruses_hens_tooth_malware/
Picture of the Playstation 3!!