“A number of open source advocates have spoken out against a survey that labelled Linux as the least secure system, pointing to ‘gaping holes’ in its methodology,” Damian Clarkson reports for ITWeb. “European research firm Mi2g unveiled the survey findings last week, stating that BSD and Mac OS X are the most secure operating systems, while Linux was said to be the least. Microsoft was the second ‘most breached’ but a long way behind.”
“But Mi2g’s decision not to count viruses has skewed the findings of the survey, says open source advocate Bruce Perens. ‘The report really did everyone a disservice by not pointing out that viruses are the main problem. Even their own study says the financial impact of viruses on Windows is tremendously greater than the penetration on Linux. Linux is still more secure, it’s just the fact that this report doesn’t count automatic viruses,'” Clarkson reports.
“Mi2g executive chairman DK Matai conceded that Linux would have been rated more secure than Windows had they counted viruses, but said both would still be less secure than BSD and Mac OS X. However, Matai said BSD and Apple are not protected from attacks just because they are relatively rare compared with Windows and Linux. BSD and Apple are used in many mission-critical and high-security applications. ‘There are many genuine reasons to attack BSD and Apple,’ he said,” Clarkson reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Seems to us that the bottom line fact remains, no matter who’s arguing: Mac OS X is much more secure than Linux or Windows.
Related MacDailyNews article:
Study: Apple’s Mac OS X ‘world’s safest and most secure’ operating system – November 02, 2004
Study: Apple’s Mac OS X is most secure operating system – February 20, 2004
Report says Apple Mac OS least vulnerable to attack – October 31, 2002
Why do Mac users need to reassure themselves that Mac OS is more secure than Windows or Linux? It seems to me that everybody knows that already, and that needing to see it in print is a sign of insecurity.
Damn that was funny.
Hmm – I wonder when the IT guys will start to relaize that OS X will make hem look good?
Yeah, funny maybe, but think about this for a minute:
Developers developers developers developers.
Developers developers developers developers.
Developers developers developers developers.
Developers developers developers developers.
Thanks God for this guy. At least someone understands that there are some serious critical and high-security applications using Mac OS X because it is the more secure OS on the market.
That is why http”//www.army.mil runs under Mac OS X, and in a pre OS X time, Mac OS 9, they were tired of being under attack…
IT guys don’t want to “look good.” If they did they wouldn’t dress like that or sneer so much. They want to be sent on junkets to Vegas and Seattle to “receive training about Windows security,” which, translated, means “leave work for a week and take prostitutes back to their greasy hotel rooms.”
If they had any sense they wouldn’t be IT guys working in cold rooms with no windows.
Rick,
Army under attack, pictures at 11 PM.
Steve Balmer,
Repeat after me,
Security, security, security, security, security,
security, security, security, security, security,
security, security, security, security, security.
I always use a condom to make myself secure.
OMFG!!!!!! I JUST WON A FREE IPOD!!!!!!!!!
oh, wait, i have to fill out this form,
WHO CARES?!!?!? A FREE IPOD!!!
wait, after the form, i have to buy something,
IT IS ONLY $10!!! WHO CARES??? FREE IPOD!!!!!
but then, after that, i have to get 5 friends to buy it,
SO JUST GET A WHOLE BUNCH OF HOTMAIL ACOUNTS AND DO IT 5 TIMES, FREE IPOD!!!
but, that would cost $50, and i still don’t know I will really get a free ipod,
BUT YOU WON THE GAME!!!!! YOU SHOT THE IPOD!!!!!
yeah, i did win the game, i’ll just forget about it for a wile, and maby they will send me my free ipod anyway
condoms are certainly the way to go in the natural world.
Username, you DID win a free iPod. But they’re not going to send it to you because they already set it free.
Bye bye little iPod, live free my friend!
Sum Yung Gai:
Nice name. Reminds me of this soup i like to have every now and then: Cream of Sum Yung Gai.
You got some for me?
The only problem is that a lot of these articles that clearly state that OS X is more secure are on really arcane sites. Almost everyone I talk to doesn’t realize that there are no viruses in the wild for OS X. They just don’t realize the difference. I would love to see something put out by AP or Reuters that would be making the top news slots.
AND Apple should be doing more marketing outlining the nuts and bolts advantages and ease of use of OS X.
Has anyone thought about the fact that Microsoft has created an entire industry out of the basic insecurity of their OS? Now Microsoft is going into the Anti-virus business. How’d that happen? Makes you wonder.
“Re: AND Apple should be doing more marketing outlining the nuts and bolts advantages and ease of use of OS X”
After 15 years of Mac use, I have come to the conclusion that Apple likes to play like the girl who plays hard to get. Wants people to beg?
Know what happens to her? Doesn’t get any.
Apple doesn’t get any? I wonder whether you had time to make a stroll into campuses and labs.
Powerbooks and iBooks everywhere (and iPod).
Seen financial reports recently?
Looks like the girl is on the 9th cloud for how much she gets laid.
People and labs and ITs dept are looking seriously buying into Apple hw/sw solutions these very days.
Have you noticed how bozos and trolls can spit as much as they like in forums such as this one but they hardly are noticed, or replied to directly anymore?! Seems like Mac users feel they are now in the position to read these Windoze apologists comments with contempt and silently despise them.
It is now so evident – people switching daily – (now Apple computers purchased at the lab almost 10 times the year average and we are not even in December) it is almost not even anymore news here. Comment from very last switcher after I asked how and what convinced him: “Looks like all of the sudden I was the only one still fighting with usual Windows issues. Colleagues who switched to the MacOS” – he said so: MacOS – “showed me how straightforward all is. No need to fight with the computer to just make it do what you need. Kinda new experience, hence, why not. Moreover, you really see them everywhere, if they were not working they would not be anywhere to be seen. The new OS really work, to my astonishment. I thought I was going to step on shit. For the time being I simply am surprised. It is like a better Linux with all office tools and programs available in the same environment”.
Practically all those who switched were previous dual-booters – Linux&Windows; – and, frankly, IT personnel is just happy to see this breed of users disappear and move to OS X. No job-security fears here, Unix and Linux is already supported, and less dual-booters is a very welcomed result.
I think Apple does play like the hard to get girl. They may be right too because they get customers that are brighter than the norm who don’t screw things up -like geeky gamesters- and whose recommendations are worth something to others.
There is a kernel of truth in what you are saying because obviously Apple is doing better.
Keep in mind I have been on board since 1983 since the days of the Apple II, and am looking forward to things getting better.
All I am saying is that it could all be so much better if Apple would just tell people about the advantages of OSX. When you have a great product, let people know!
There is such a thing as playing hard to get, and then there is being silly.
Well, they tried to tell people just how good Apple’s products are — 5-stars-good — and the people laughed
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The more ads I see for a product or service, the more skeptical I become. Intel Inside … <i>Plays for sure<i> … you know, you gotta make a lotta noise to sell cra….
so if you follow that to its logical conclusion, you would sell more by making sure that fewer people know about your product?
Its true, when the first G5 computer out preformed the Intel computer of that time, people said the test was rigged. No one believed it. Everyone laughed. I think its just that Apple knows it doesn’t have a chance in a mass-market campaign, so why waste the money. Start small and just let yourself grow. The corner store doesn’t put ads on TV because the store knows that its a small store, and Target will beat it out. It just works best for its costumers, and as it grows it spreads to a few corners, and a few city stores, than a national network of stores, and thats when your competing. Despite how awesome Apple is, its unfortunately nothing more than a community chain so far.