“Jan. 15, 2002: In an email to Microsoft employees Chairman Bill Gates announces a ‘Trustworthy Computing’ initiative and declares: ‘Our products should emphasize security right out of the box.’ Number of security fixes for Windows XP since then? One hundred,” Stephen Manes writes for Forbes. “When it comes to security, you can trust Microsoft to reveal three serious flaws in its operating system every month. Now it’s getting into the antivirus and antispyware businesses its gaffes singlehandedly created. Great. So much malware is directed at Windows that an unprotected PC directly connected to the Net will crash within ten minutes. But you can defend yourself. Here’s a ten-point plan.”
One of Manes’ points is, “Mull Macs: Although Apple has issued dozens of fixes for Mac OS X, the system has proven far more secure than Windows. At least for now viruses and spyware are virtually unknown in Macland. But don’t let a Mac give you a false sense of security: It won’t protect you against, say, e-mail tricksters phishing for your credit card number.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The interesting thing is that if you took the Mac option and dropped Windows, you could reduce the “ten-point plan” to the 3-5 of Manes’ points that involve simple common sense.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Microsoft tries to turn its own security flaw into commercial gain – February 25, 2005
Cybersecurity advisor Clarke questions why anybody would buy from Microsoft – February 18, 2005
Microsoft’s Gates espouses homogenous operating system environments for better security – February 07, 2005
Windows’ mounting security problems make some consumers eager to purchase Macs – January 03, 2005
Windows Media songs and videos found to carry Windows malware payloads – December 30, 2004
Anzae/Inzae worm affects all Windows versions after 3.1; Macintosh unaffected – December 28, 2004
Unlike Windows users, Mac OS X users surf the Internet without a care in the world – December 28, 2004
Multiple unpatched Windows holes crop up; Windows systems compromised within minutes in experiment – December 24, 2004
Windows spyware mess is out of control, get a Mac and surf with impunity – December 21, 2004
New Microsoft Internet Explorer exploit spoofs Web sites on fully patched Windows XP systems – December 17, 2004
Microsoft may charge extra for Windows spyware protection software – December 16, 2004
Detroit Free Press: Windows malware problem getting worse, it’s time to get a Mac instead – December 16, 2004
Sick of spyware, adware headaches? Get a Mac and surf the Internet freely – December 13, 2004
Mossberg: Windows PCs plagued with problems, Apple’s Mac is ‘rock solid, elegant and affordable’ – December 09, 2004
Security expert: Don’t use Microsoft Windows, Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer – December 09, 2004
Security test: Windows XP system easily compromised while Apple’s Mac OS X stands safe and secure – November 30, 2004
Sick of spyware, adware infecting your PC? Don’t fret, just get a Mac – November 01, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Spyware plagues Windows users while Mac users surf Net with impunity – November 01, 2004
Ballmer blames Windows users for not upgrading systems as Microsoft’s biggest security problem – October 22, 2004
Windows users line up to pay for spyware removal; Mac users surf Web with impunity – October 18, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Windows users’ security woes spark interest in Apple’s secure Mac OS X – October 06, 2004
Windows desktop monopoly threatened by secure, safe Apple Mac OS X – October 04, 2004
Even Bill Gates can’t avoid Windows malware; Mac users surf the Web freely – October 03, 2004
Cyber-security adviser uses Apple Macintosh to avoid Windows’ security woes – September 27, 2004
Information Security Investigator says switch from Windows to Mac OS X for security – September 24, 2004
Mossberg: Apple iMac G5 ‘powerful, affordable, virus-free with better, more modern OS than Windows XP’ – September 23, 2004
USA Today: people are switching from Windows to Mac because of security issues – September 21, 2004
Windows besieged by hackers; number of Windows viruses soars by more than 400% – September 20, 2004
USA Today columinst angry about Windows viruses, adware, spyware – September 15, 2004
University of Chicago recommends all students patch Windows at least once a day – September 14, 2004
Windows XP worm speaks to users as it deletes their files; Macintosh unaffected – September 13, 2004
Security is top priority in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2004
Millions of Windows PC’s hijacked by hackers, turned into zombies; Macintosh unaffected – September 08, 2004
Mossberg: Dump your Windows machine and get an Apple Macintosh to free yourself of spyware – August 25, 2004
Tired of patching patches to patch Windows patches? Writer suggests getting a Mac – August 03, 2004
Windows ‘Scob’ virus designed to steal financial data, passwords; Macintosh unaffected – June 26, 2004
Gartner: Worms jack up the total cost of Microsoft Windows – May 07, 2004
Spyware, adware plague Windows users online; Mac OS X users surf freely – April 19, 2004
SmartMoney: Long-suffering Windows users can only dare to dream of Mac’s ease-of-use – February 12, 2004
Mac OS X has no viruses; what’s wrong with Windows? – February 11, 2004
Gates: Windows ‘by far the most secure’ system; tries to use ‘Mac OS X secure through obscurity’ myth – January 27, 2004
Columnist tries the ‘security through obscurity’ myth to defend Windows vs. Macs on virus front – October 1, 2003
New York Times: Mac OS X ‘much more secure than Windows XP’ – September 18, 2003
Wall Street Journal’s Mossberg on making the switch from Windows to Mac – September 18, 2003
Fortune columnist: ‘get a Mac’ to thwart viruses; right answer for the wrong reasons – September 02, 2003
Shattering the Mac OS X ‘security through obscurity’ myth – August 28, 2003
Is Mac OS X really inherently more secure than Windows? – August 26, 2003
Chicago Sun-Times columnist: Windows ‘many holes in its security’ but ‘none of my Macs have ever been affected – August 26, 2003
Sick of worms and viruses? ‘Move to Mac OS X’ suggests Chicago Tribune columnist – August 25, 2003
Virus and worm problems not just due to market share; Windows inherently insecure vs. Mac OS X – August 24, 2003
Tiger-
Since when do you decide what “bile” is and isn’t? And what speech is and isn’t?
That’s the point of “free” speech, EACH of us gets to decide what we like and support and what we don’t.
Go to another forum if you don’t like what is said here. But never close the mouths of anyone. Even retarded fools like crypts…er I mean bloods man
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Tigerboy,
Which Red State do you hail from anyway? Thanks for telling everyone what is worthy free speech and what isn’t.
And as to your assertion that “censorship refers only to government suppression of speech,” where did you learn that?
Censorship is defined as “the act, process, or practice of censoring.” And censoringis the action performed by a censor:
1. A person authorized to examine books, films, or other material and to remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or otherwise objectionable.
2. An official, as in the armed forces, who examines personal mail and official dispatches to remove information considered secret or a risk to security.
3. One that condemns or censures.
4. One of two officials in ancient Rome responsible for taking the public census and supervising public behavior and morals.
5. Psychology. The agent in the unconscious that is responsible for censorship.
Straight from the source.
Just get over yourself and move on. If you don’t like it, then don’t read it. As we all learned in Sunday School, live and let live… but maybe Paul McCartney’s take is more your speed?
This is all nuts. Bloodomen’s poor choice of words is simply that. To pass such damning judgement on someone none of you has actually met is as foolish as using offensive language in public.
Bloodomen might be racist Nazi pig. He/she might also be a misguided kid who needs to grow up a little. None of you really know.
When your knee-jerk reaction to this sort thing is to scream “RACIST!”, it only serves to make valid claims of racism seem just as meaningless. Reread “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” until you get this. It’s important.
My advice is to Bloodomen is GROW UP. The rest of you need to grow some thicker skin and relax.
Now, to make this somehow on-topic. Umm…Macs are cool. Don’t plug a Windows box into the internet or it will get a rash. Norton, McAffee, firewalls, etc only treat the symptoms not the disease.
Jerry T:
You puzzle me. Are you saying it isn’t bile? Or is it just that that word is too strong for you? I’ve been making judgments about who is worth listening to and who isn’t since I first learned to think for myself. I am more than qualified to pass judgment on this bozo. I strongly suspect you are, too. I never said I don’t like what is said here. I like it very much. I just don’t like people pissing in the swimming pool, that’s all. I’m on record as stating that the moment for deleting the post has passed and it should remain. What’s your problem? And I will go to any forum I please, thank you very much. Freedom of association and all that.
NoSmackForYou:
There’s a difference between censoring and editing. My call is for MDN to exercise editorial judgment, that’s all. Deleting a racist outburst is not censorship. There are noble causes, including free speech, worth fighting for and arguing over. This is not one of them. Surely, you don’t need me to give you a history lesson here?
I’m ignoring the “red state” remark because I have a lot of sympathy for the nearly 50% of red staters who voted “blue.”
You don’t like my “take”? Heed your own advice: “Just get over yourself and move on. If you don’t like it, then don’t read it. As we all learned in Sunday School, live and let live… but maybe Paul McCartney’s take is more your speed?”
(Actually, it took me a second to get the McCartney reference but I like it. You get a clever point for that one.)
Wow…. people are really worked up here. Now I know what they do when they are not thumping their bibles, praying, and talking about moral values while we bomb the hell out of other countries, rig elections, and prepare to invade other countries.
I think their are a bunch of republicans in here trying to silence anyone who speaks against what they believe.
That said… I am Christian, but I do this thing called “Thinking”, and I do not follow whatever I am told to do just because some egghead who was elected by a bunch of morons tells me to do or what to think.
The Sheeple have spoken… and they said “4 more years…. bahh… 4 more years… bahh”. Well, the ones that voted; the rigged electronic voting boxes took care of the rest.
Wow…. people are really worked up here. Now I know what they do when they are not thumping their bibles, praying, and talking about moral values while we bomb the hell out of other countries, rig elections, and prepare to invade other countries.
I think their are a bunch of republicans in here trying to silence anyone who speaks against what they believe.
That said… I am Christian, but I do this thing called “Thinking”, and I do not follow whatever I am told to do just because some egghead who was elected by a bunch of morons tells me to do or what to think.
The Sheeple have spoken… and they said “4 more years…. bahh… 4 more years… bahh”. Well, the ones that voted; the rigged electronic voting boxes took care of the rest.
NMFY, “Windows zilch Mac” Ah, now I get it, not.
Libertarian, weird, I didn’t claim to be afraid of anything, so I guess I don’t have anything specific to answer with. I just don’t appreciate racism as much as you do, I guess. It has a negative impact on my family. Apparently it doesn’t affect yours at all.
Tiger-
Be puzzled no more. I’m not saying that it isn’t bile. And the word isn’t too strong for me either. I just find censorship to be equally vile and as dangerous as racism. I know this is a long shot but–what if someone else here really liked what he said? Do you (or I) have the right to tell them they can’t see it? For me, even stupid people have the right of expression. Don’t forget that the first tool Hitler used to subdue the minds of his countrymen was censorship. The book burnings came before the crematorium.
I also agree that both of us are qualified to pass judgment on this guy. We just aren’t qualified to pass that judgment on behalf of everyone else in this forum. After all, an anti-Nazi Nazi, is still a Nazi.
“We just aren’t qualified to pass that judgment on behalf of everyone else in this forum.” – Jerry T
Well put. I have a feeling that Tigerbaby will still have a hard time with your dispute of his apparent God-like judgement.
Thank you to the Mac Daily News webmaster for keeping the sanity
on this message board.
Remember this mac readers, there would be no heaven without HELL!!
Macs ****, PC’s Rule!
**** with respect to the webmaster.
Everybody, take the political arguments somewhere else please. While valid points are being made, this is not the place for them.
Windows will never be secure by bundling third-party antivirus/anti-spyware software with it. It’s like an auto maker bundling steering wheel locks because their cars are too easy to steal. Guys, if the situation is really that bad, why don’t you go back to the drawing board and fix the real problem, instead of patching and covering it up?!?!
Gates’ regular “Trustworthy Computing” cheerleading proves MS doesn’t have an iota of security talent in their DNA. The only way a current Windows PC can be made truly secure is to turn it off.
Quotes from NoMacForYou:
“1.Get a PC
2.Get the updates
3.Use a Firewall Router…”
“I can post fine from my mom’s eMachine – just like always.”
Hey NoMacForYou, your uppins’ have come:
your going to have to do a lot more than just turn on windows firewall and use a router firewall to protect your PeeCee. Try getting and paying out the butt for anti-virus everyyear. Oh, and don’t forget having to get a spyware and crapware cleaning tool that you’ll have to pay for if you want the full features (they don’t always get everything, in fact, you have to dig deeper to get the nasty crapware, something no tool does yet). Oh, and let’s not all forget about how PeeCee users have to reformat every week because not only does windblows slow down over time (weeks not months, and noticably too), but all the crapware that boots into background processes means the CPU is busy crunching, well, crap instead of doing what you want it to do.
Oh, and unless your like 17 and skipping school to play hooky, I’d leave the part about living with you mom out of your future posts.
“I hate PC hacks who have nothing better to do than go to mac posts and piss people off with thier ignorant rants. Don’t you guys have anything better to do, like reformat or scan your HD for spyware and viruses? “
~Derf
One last time. The issue is editorial judgment, not censorship. I will stand at the barricades with Jerry T and the others on the issue of free speech.
But neither I, nor Jerry T, nor anyone else has a right to post here. It is a privilege, granted by MDN and can be revoked by MDN. Bloodomen’s post, taken as a whole, contains no content but does use gratuitously offensive language. It may possibly be speech in a narrow legal sense, but even if it is, MDN is not bound by that. MDN is free to edit or delete and, I submit, should have exercised that editorial perogative in the beginning. Those who wish to speak to each other in racist terms — or just flail at the world — have plenty of other venues. Let them do so in another forum. That is not censorship.
My argument has been offered in the spirit of providing MDN with a reasonable basis to consider swiftly deleting such posts in the future. MDN will be guided by his (I’m assuming it’s a he, apologies if I’m wrong) conscience and sense of responsibility to the community he has founded. Whatever he decides, I expect to keep reading as I have found real value here. But if these sorts of posts are allowed to proliferate then the value I see will be greatly diminished. And I think that would be a shame.
I hope MDN will set a higher standard next time. Not every blowhard deserves a soapbox here.
Oh for Christ’s sake.
You jags ought to know by now the only reason the comment is still there is so that you tools will keep posting on it and MDN gets to keep the traffic up.
Bling Bling dipshits.
Magic word: “Million.” How appropriate.
Additionally, MDN is no bastion of free speech. If they were, I don’t think they would have deleted Aryugaetu’s post that was highly critical of their pop-under window annoyance.
So it’s okay to call black people niggers, just don’t criticize MDN’s decision to whore itself to the tune of one pop-under on your screen at least once a day.
Dude, will you people stop posting about poltiical issues. This is not the place. GO somewhere else. Cpt. Obvious said it best:
“Bling Bling Dipshits”
tools
The age old fight about ass. Let me give you guys the lowdown on this word.
There was no ‘arse’ in the dictionary until the recent years when too many people started to spell it wrong and just like microsoft’s redefining darkness as a new standard instead of changing the broken light bulb, the word arse was born.
The correct spelling has been ass all the while but you just pronounce it as ‘arse’. The word ass has 2 defination
1) Ass pronouced ass with reference to jack-ass (donkey) – eg Bill Gates is an ass. Hmm, first monkey boy and now donkey. Add a few more animals and you refer to microsoft hq as a zoo.
2) Ass pronunced arse with refernce to someone’s behind – eg the shape of Steve Balmer’s face conforms to the contours on Gates’ ass.
Now if we can only get Webster to redefine the word ass using the above examples
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Remember this mac readers, there would be no heaven without HELL!
Precisely. Neither exist.
Freedom of Speech is not equal to Freedom to Harass. I fully support MDN’s decision to shield us from the vacuous statements made by persons whose purpose for posting is nothing more than to annoy the readers of MDN. It’s not censorship, it’s moderation. Furthermore, if posts on MDN that continue to contain so much verbal vomit are not removed, I will lose interest in the site altogether.
Shut the door on your way out.
MDN webmaster, you are in control. Take control. If this is the commentary I have to deal with while trying to get real Apple/Macintosh information & education. I will get my information somewhere else. Those comments do nothing to enlighten me on the usefulness of the Apple/Macintosh computing platform.
Don’t lose your credibility as a great place to be informed, just because you can’t handle a few people who think different(ly).
Now let’s talk about “tit” and “teat”!
MW: life – that about sums it up.