“Many people are writing about the success of the iPhone, and how ten years on, we can clearly see how it changed personal computing. As the fastest-selling consumer electronic device ever, this pocket computer has swept across the globe like a tsunami, selling hundreds of millions of units,” Kirk McElhearn writes for Intego. “In the past year alone, Apple has sold more than 200 million iPhones.”
“One of the biggest successes of the iPhone is its security,” McElhearn writes. “In a time when surfing the web has its dangers, there has been no serious malware in the ten years of its existence.”
“In total, only a few dozen malicious apps or exploits have been discovered, most of which require jailbroken iPhones, can only target specific people, or only work on older versions of iOS,” McElhearn writes. “So, how has Apple managed to create a mobile platform with no major malware in its first 10 years of existence? Here are five ways Apple’s iOS protects you from major malware.”
1. The App Store
2. Code Signing
3. Sandboxing
4. Privileges
5. iOS Updates
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s iPhone offers unmatched security and privacy.
SEE ALSO:
Security expert: There are several reasons why Apple iPhones are more secure than Android phones – May 31, 2017
Apple lures Android users to upgrade to iPhone in new split screen ad campaign – May 31, 2017
Apple launches new Switch attack on Google’s Android – May 22, 2017
Russian hacker gang robbed Russian banks with over one million hacked Android phones – May 22, 2017
36 widely-used Android devices ship with malware preinstalled – March 14, 2017
The cost of free: More than one million Google Android devices hit by malware – November 30, 2016
Secret backdoor in U.S. Android phones sent location, text, contact data to China – November 15, 2016
Google’s Android platform has a serious flaw – August 23, 2016
Poor man’s iPhone: Android on the decline – February 26, 2015
Study: iPhone users are smarter and richer than those who settle for Android phones – January 22, 2015
Why Android users can’t have the nicest things – January 5, 2015
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “David G.” for the heads up.]
I wonder how many companies can say that their operating system hasn’t had any major viruses for a decade.
To answer your question, most companies do make secure products. Despite the incessant MDN spin, even Microsoft has been surprisingly prompt with proactive security of late. But all this relies on the user to use the tools and support to stay bug free. An outdated Apple OS may be just as vulnerable as a poorly managed android or windoze device.
Mac and iOS devices do have a definite advantage of having a much smaller exposure, even if fans don’t want to admit it. Corporate theft is H U G E and the backbone of most companies is windows, bottom line. Obviously they have been under the gun and the creaking foundations of windows took decades to patch up. There just isn’t much money in writing malware targeted at mobile oses.
That could change though. The misplaced desire to be always connected to the internet at all times and storing all things on somebody’s server will invariably lead evildoers to target data transfer in apps or on the way to Google Drive or iCloud or AWS or whatever.
Cloud purveyors have been remarkably successful in selling the illusion of security but they are becoming the biggest targets of all.
Let’s not forget too that malware isn’t just after your bitcoin. Most of what the sane person would call creepy data mining theftware is available for free on your favorite App Store. Apps that track your gps position incessantly for no reason. Apps that keylog. “Free” services that record every transmission every text and yes, every word you speak. It’s happening now on your iPhone. You are the one who decided to let Apple Maps track you, Whatsapp to record you, gmail to read what is sent to you.
There is no need to write “malware” when you can get rich data mining.
What companies write millions of lines of code and have no major security breaches? The list is long.
– Several car companies
– NASA and space contractors
– Practically all airplane manufacturers
– satellite services
– terrestrial radio and tv broadcasters and equipment mfrs
– boat builders
– factory equipment constructors
– Use your imagination
You just cant say “Well done ” and move on . Your long winded essay ( Snore ) lead to absolutely nothing barring an exposure of your obvious envy for what is probably , the best brand ever created . Bottom line , FACT …. : Apple has less malware issues than any other brand . Deal with it , then focus on improving your life .
So if it is all about upgrades, then why are Mac and iOS users so much more likely to keep their systems up to date then windows users? Because Apple has EARNED more trust. The wrong windows upgrade can be just as damaging as a malware attack.
You listed NASA and space contractors and satellite services as separate items? Trying to pad your list to make it look long?
“- Use your imagination” I guess you are.
I also don’t have a NASA satellite parked in my garage so I don’t see why you are listing them.
Boat builders? Airplane manufactures? Car companies? Don’t they use Windows?
You also forgot to mention ATM’s.
Oh, wait, those are based on Windows. We all know what happened to them.
As many as censor their OS.
It only makes sense that the US Government doesn’t use Apple equipment…it’s the RUSSIANS FAULT!!!!!
Security and privacy mean very little to most smartphone-using consumers. That’s why Android OS has such an incredibly high market share. Almost no one using Android smartphones is fretting over privacy. Most people are happily allowing Google to tap their smartphones for data as long as they’re getting free Google services. Most WS analysts claim all Android smartphones are just as good as iPhones, so it’s quite obvious that security and privacy don’t count for much. For most consumers, a smartphone that costs less is far more important than security and privacy.
So, although Apple sold 200 million secure iPhones in the last year, more than 600 million insecure Android smartphones have been grabbed up by consumers in the same time frame which pretty much proves most people don’t care anything about smartphone security.
They may well care for security on an abstract level, but if they can supply their entire family of six with Android phones for the price of a cheapest new iPhone, that care (about security) goes out the window.
yeah, and a survey of americans a few years ago showed that about 48% didn’t know the u.s. was in the northern hemisphere. for most people which hemisphere we are in matters even less than security and privacy i guess.
I kinda like it that 3 times more unsecured android phones are sold than iPhones. Seems like the crooks would have better return focusing on Android….
The arabic text that made iOS stuck in a restarting loop is kind of annoying
No need for malwares when the users can’t tell the difference between fishing and phishing.
MacDailyNews Take is always the circlejerking source an apple user needs every day to get up and going.
@Realist
You are right and the Mac fanboys are wrong. It is known in the grayhat hacking community and high end corporate pen testers, MacOS (not iOS) is more vulnerable then a fully patched Windows 10 machine. They don’t follow high end hackers and high end corporate pen testers, there for these vuls don’t exist in their world. When there is a world that the pentesters and hackers live MacOS is a “fist bump” when they need to access a machine.
As far as lack of malware for MacOS, yep thank God. But that is because there is NO “fog of war” in the MacOS malware universe. If a piece of Mac malware is feed into the world it most likely will be picked up by FireEye, Palo Alto Networks, Fox-IT and companies like that. THEN all the malware researchers, and AV companies will all pile on and do extensive research on it ASAP. Not to mention Apple using GateKeeper to quench what has always been “simpleton” malware 99.9% of the time. All quenched within 24 hours because it is “ONE” piece of malware. Why spend 2 weeks testing your malware and writing code when your malware is basically shut down in 24 hours.
When Microsoft based malware has between 350,000 to 1 million pieces of malware daily. Good luck getting 24 hour malware smack down on even 50,000 pieces of MacOS malware.
http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities—threats/kaspersky-lab-323000-new-malware-samples-found-each-day/d/d-id/1327655
http://blog.trendmicro.com/malware-1-million-new-threats-emerging-daily/
Mac fanboys have tunnel vision. Start following high end gray hats and high end pentesters to see there is another world next to you that you have ZERO clue that ever existed.
.
But yes,
iOS is very secure, and I am glad I am on it !!!!
Meanwhile, on Android:
List Of Android Devices Found Containing CIA Malware
Beware! Pre-Installed Android Malware Found On 36 High-end Smartphones
🤢🤦
Oh and:
Android Malware ‘Judy’ Hits as Many as 36.5 Million Phones
And furthermore:
Android WARNING: Millions of smartphones infected by malware – find out if you’re affected
🤖😱😳😵😩