“The headaches caused by two significant computer virus outbreaks this summer, the SoBig and Blaster worms, have forced technology gurus in the public and private sectors to re-examine the issue of cyber security,” David Zeiler writes for The Baltimore Sun. “Based on the experience of these two relatively mild viruses, ‘cyber terrorists’ could wreak mayhem easily by exploiting any one of hundreds of known vulnerabilities in Microsift Corp.’s Windows, which reigns as the standard for most businesses and governmental agencies.”
“Several incidents this year alone offer chilling evidence of just how vulnerable the nation’s digital infrastructure is to Windows ‘malware.’ So where does Macintosh fit into this equation? For one thing, as has been noted in two recent columns, Apple Computer Inc.’s Mac OS X is immune to the tens of thousands of viruses and worms that target the Windows operating system, and — thanks to a Unix-based core — it’s also more resistant to attack,” Zeiler writes.
“Adding at least some Macs to the mix of government computers makes sense if for no other reason than to limit the incapacitation and damage from a cyber attack by using more than one operating system,” Zeiler writes. “Given OS X’s resistance to attack and high level of interoperability with Windows networks, Macs would be ideal for such a role.”
Full article here.