“Technology commentator Bill Thompson is worried about the lack of herd immunity among his fellow Apple Mac users,” Thje BBC News web site states.
“These days Apple users are almost unbearably smug when the subject turns to malware. I was invited to appear on Radio Four’s You and Yours this week to talk about viruses and other malware and our focus was on issues with Windows since it is the most commonly used operating system,” Thompson writes for BBC News. “After the show we got dozens of e-mails from complacent Mac users pointing out that they were safe and suggesting that people simply abandon Windows if they want to be secure.”
“Mac users demonstrate an indefensible smugness when it comes to the dangers of having their systems compromised by malicious software and opened up to exploitation by others
It would certainly be wonderful if the Macintosh computer and its operating system were immune to attack but this is just wishful thinking. Mac OS is certainly a lot better than Windows, but being better isn’t nearly enough,” Thompson writes. “Mac OS may not have the gaping holes that let viruses spread, but worms, spyware and even keyloggers are out there. They can’t spread as easily, and most would only be installed by a careless user clicking ‘Accept’ on a dodgy install dialog, but the regular stream of security fixes from Apple’s software update service makes it clear that there are real dangers. After all, Mac OS is built on top of the Unix operating system and it, like its close relative Linux, has many well-known security problems that can allow it to be compromised.”
“There may not be any Mac viruses at the moment, and the way the system handles user accounts and security means that they are unlikely, but we need to take steps to safeguard ourselves against other malicious software. As things stand, the Mac community has no herd immunity because most users seem to assume that they don’t need to take preventive action,” Thompson writes. “The Mac ships with a good firewall, and it should be used. There are tools to scan your system for known malicious programs or to check whether it has been hacked into, and they should be used too. Mac users demonstrate an indefensible smugness when it comes to the dangers of having their systems compromised by malicious software and opened up to exploitation by others. It’s time they started behaving a bit more responsibly.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take:
By SteveJack
Another boring “Mac OS X warning” in a stream of articles from various sources that just magically seem to pop up following a severe, long-standing, and stupid Microsoft Windows critical vulnerability. Without accusing Thompson, are some of these articles mere coincidence? Misdirection plays? Writers with nothing original to say? A bit of electrical fence to keep the herd contained? Without hearing the Radio Four program, I’ll assume Thompson and Co. failed to mention that the viruses and malware they were talking about all affected Windows. I’ll also assume that they never made mention of the Mac option, which is probably why Mac users emailed them. I would’ve done so, too.
Yes, Mac OS X users, use your firewall. Use your processor cycles to run AV software to protect Windows users against themselves, if that floats your boat. Don’t run as root. And, yes, don’t act smugly if you don’t want other to consider you smug.
While I’m at it, don’t be smug either, fish, of your immunity to fire – if a volcano happens to explode under the sea and less than .0000000000000000001% of you fish get burned, well, you won’t be such smug fish then, will you? Quick somebody ring up The Beeb! Fish smugness due to fire immunity needs to be highlighted in order to make other so-easily-burnable species feel better about themselves. Smug fish everywhere should be fitted with asbestos suits. Who cares if they can’t swim as fast in protective suits, or that they’re really not at risk? They’ll be safe from an underwater volcano fire and they won’t be so damn smug!
The analogy almost works, except in the Windows vs. Mac case — unlike the fish vs. burnable life forms idea — the “herd” actually has a choice to be safe from fire without wearing a protective suit, and 85% of them still make the wrong choice! Straight into the inferno they walk, clad with torn and ineffective protection, mainly because they have a herd mentality. Actually, to blame them for making the wrong “choice” is incorrect; most don’t know they even have a choice.* They’d instantly fertilize the pasture if they were actually told that tens of millions of people happily use Apple’s Mac OS X machines daily without AV software “protecting” them and without a care in the world. The herd would probably fall over sideways if you told them that many Mac users are 100% Microsoft-free.
The herd line up to get burned because:
• they’re worried that they won’t be able to get “free” (pirated) software from their office and friends if they get a Mac (since the rest of the herd has Windows)
• they don’t know they even have a choice*
• their company has shortsightedly shackled themselves and their workers with some Windows-only software
• they use their computers for games
• they believe the myths (no software, too expensive, incompatible)
• they’re too cheap for their own good
• they think the blue “e” is the Internet
• they can’t believe Mac machines have been virus-free for half a decade and counting and, when they see pieces like Thompson’s, they feel better about owning Windows machines, even though they didn’t choose Windows.* As they skim Thompson’s piece, you can almost hear them exclaim, “Oh, Macs are vulnerable, too! Whew! I just knew it couldn’t be true that they had no viruses.”
I’ve surfed the Internet and have gone to any website I damn well pleased for over half a decade on Mac OS X machines without any antivirus software installed. I have not had one virus or bit of spyware that affected my Mac OS X machine. If that makes me “smug,” so be it; my “smugness” is completely defensible. And if some of us Mac users do get a Mac OS X virus that magically propagates without requiring the user’s permission to install and actually is harmful to Mac OS X users’ data, then it will be one (1) Mac OS X virus to Windows’ 100,000+. I, for one, will still be “smug.” Although, after the mainstream (Windows-centric) tech media are finished with it, you’ll think it was a tie game at best for the Mac.
*Mac users almost invariably have used Windows (at work, at the very least) and, yet, they choose to purchase Macs with their hard-earned money. Very few Windows users have used both Windows XP and Mac OS X. Those that have, of course, are most likely Mac users now. Most people have not consciously chosen Windows over Mac, many aren’t even aware there is a choice to make.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
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Related MacDailyNews articles:
97,467 Microsoft Windows viruses vs. zero for Apple Mac’s OS X – April 05, 2005
21 years and only 1 virus 16 years ago, yea I’m smug, damm right.
But I’m not in the least bit worried 24/7 like they try to get me to be.
I just take some simple precautions
1: Keep two staggered clones of my boot drive disconnected. Keeping the second clone for reverse cloning only if I have complete erased w/zero the infected drives from a write protected install disk.
2: Firewall on full setting, log enabled (which only catches blocked info unfortunatly)
3: Don’t give anything my admin password unless I completely trust the source and then only to a very few programs, especially not to ones who require a internet/network connection.
4: Install Little Snitch which is a outgoing firewall, stopping all unknown network attempts.
5: Keep a eye on outgoing network in Activity Monitor also on th processes running, some programs even when quit will still run a process!
6: Don’t run P2P software or do other questionable things unless I’m in a secure “fake user” with limited security access so that in case a trojan hits it can only erase those user files.
7: If a Mac OS X exploit occurs on the root level, like the URL Handler exploits of pre 10.3.5 or the Norton NAV exploit that just occured, then a backup of files to write protected disks and a complete erase and reinstall of the operating system followed by all the updates is called for.
8: Don’t install any Microsoft or Symantec code.
beryllium: If this happens to me, I will contact the ISP, or Amazon, or whomever, and complain about their unwise choice to use the Windows platform. But I will not protect computer users who are too stupid to practice safe computing. Let ’em buy their own electronic condoms!
A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attack will affect any server, whether Unix, Windows, or even Mac, not because of the type of server chosen, but because of the flood of requests coming in from Zombied Windows machines connected around the world. This has nothing to do with “unwise” choices on the part of the ISP. You could be running an ISP with as much Apple hardware as possible (which if you understand anything about dialup & broadband ISPs, is virutally impossible because of all the required specialized equipment), and if your ISP is hit with a DDoS attack, you effectively disappear off the Internet.
DDoS attacks originate from infected home PCs typically running Windows, and in almost every case, the owner of the computer isn’t even aware their computer is infected. The computer is essentially a Zombie, controlled by one individual and directed to start either ping flooding or page requesting a specific target. One computer alone can’t do this, but consider a web server getting hit by 100,000 infected computers at once, each computer ping flooding and page requesting hundreds of times per second. All the bandwidth gets used up, leaving legitimate requests out in the cold. Mac, Unix, Linux or Windows….it doesn’t matter, that server goes offline, effectively not existing until the attack can be stopped.
This affects ALL users, Windows AND Mac.
Speaking of advertising, did I see an iMac on a TV ad during the Panthers game yesterday? I was on the phone and just caught a glimpse of it… I think.
Actually, I don’t think that Bill Thompson is a long-time Mac user.
In his writings, he has often mentioned his daughter’s iBook and now appears to have a PowerBook of his own, so I would regard him as a recent switcher.
He has had many unfortunate experiences with Windows security problems and I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt in that he probably doesn’t yet understand quite how well OS X is going to serve him.
But shame on him for repeating the myths and innuendoes and he really should know better than to regard trojans as a specific Mac security threat.
Methinks his mailbox will be filling up quite rapidly today.
I read this this morning and emailed him a long tirade. He’s so full of bullshit.. and by the way he’s NOT a long term Mac user, he switched late last year.
“You say our smugness potentially damages you? What balderdash and what a ridiculous thing to say when there are but millions of people out there who haven’t updated Windows software, can’t successfully load Symantec/McAfee renewals, or don’t much care anyway.”
“You say we should buy antivirus software…why? A virus that is released in the wild only gets an anti-virus fix from Symantec or whoever AFTER they get to see it and analyse it. So by definition the Mac virus, IF it ever comes, will be highly publicised and at that time we can buy the fix if we need to. The reality is that Apple can produce fixes in a fraction of the time it takes Microsoft so chances are they will do the job and we will be just as well protected as someone buying extra security from Symantec. As you know, or should know, the protection they give is against EXISTING viruses.”
Don’t expect too much of the BBC is my advice. They are a classic Jack of All Trades operation.
Excellent work MDN. I can only add my anecdote: I’ve been using Macintosh since ’84. A few impotent virus bugged me back on OS7, (circa 1995?). Under Mac OS X, 5 plus years no issues with malware of any kind.
Rock on SJ!
…… one more thing.
So Bill repeats the security from obscurity myth as though it were a fact.
How embarrassing for him that at the same time, Microsoft releases a patch for a security problem with Vista.
Just how many people are using Vista at the moment ?
It’s obscure, but not secure.
Has anyone stuck one of those nasty Sony CDs into a Mac?
If you have, can you tell us if the disk asked you to accept the installation of software? Or did it do it without any dialog box?
“Hey MDN, stop being so smug, there is highly documented malware for MacOS X, it all came on 2005 Sony/BMG music CDs.”………..
straight from the horse’s mouth: (Sony/BMG)
“Mac Users: This disc will behave like a traditional CD in a Mac.”
don’t mean to sound smug…
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This is Thompson/BBC taking ‘balanced comment’ to the extreme.
Yes Windows is riddled with holes, but just to add balance here – in case you thought the BBC was only capable of finding fault with one OS – we have to write pages of ‘issues’ to make the case that Mac’s could be attacked as well.
Anything is possible but any balanced article would have to agree that the total of reported cases with OSX – (let alone reported cases that had a dibilitating effect on the individual or others) is still ZERO.
Is it lunch time yet?
What concerns me is as the installed user base increases we will do doubt have more non-tech people using a Mac. I know way too many non-tech people today that seem to agree to everything they get sent and open most attachments via email. No matter how many times you tell them not to do something they do it anyways! Most of these users are using Windows today. Many are thinking of going with a Mac in the future. Having their account as “standard” will help but what if they think they need this “program” and they sign on with the admin account? How can we guard against this type of ignorance?
I don’t know about the rest of you, but on certain sites, using Safari 1.x (I don’t remember which version and I am at work on an XP system) or Firefox for Mac OS X, I noticed people have figured out a way around the popup blocker built in – not to name any sites of course
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If that can be done, then malware/spyware is a very slight possiblility. We have to be realistic in the fact that some day, someone might figure out a way. Just because it may come through 3rd party software (such as Firefox) it won’t matter for the Windows loving media, they will be all over the headline of an infection on a Mac and the “see it happens to them too” claims.
I do happen to be among the Mac minority who spend money on Anti-Virus software and regular backup and if all Mac users did this (non Symanec please) it would help guarantee that nothing ever gets the chance to spread. I do mine via .Mac account (Virex) since I get the Gig of online storage with it.
Just because it has never happened, doesn’t mean it can’t. Just like in the early 1900’s Ford was #1 with a “virtual monopoly” thanks to that mass production thing. Until the little GM company with a scant single digit market share came together with the variety of products and the “style” the market ended up wanting and dominated for the majority of the remanider of the century. Just like in the early 2000’s Windows currently is #1 with a “virtual monopoly.” Until the little Apple that could…
If all that can happen, it doesn’t mean Apple’s OS X will always be invinceable and it also means that Apple could some day dominate the PC world via market share.
Jaxson: so are you telling us that you have installed anti-virus software which has some prescient ability so it WILL stop ‘the virus’ when it arrives at some time in the future???
I don’t think so.
The BBC NEVER say anything good about Apple, it’s totally biased. It all goes back to Apple wanting to charge them to put BBC World on QuickTime TV.
The story about the new Macs with Intel processors was up on their tech site for 2 days, wheras the story about some dumb-ass old rocker saying iPods make you deaf was there for 2 weeks. Now this bull sh*t!?
I’ll bet Bill Thompson has never used a Mac. If he can show me spyware or trojans for Mac OS X then i’ll give him £100,000.
If you REALLY want to run AV software then just download ClamXav and use that.
But why bother? Not one piece of AV software on the market today is pre-emptive it’s impossible. By the time you’ve updated your virus definitions, ran your AV App and removed the virus, the damage is probably already done.
My $0.02
No offense, but looking at SteveJack list there (“long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor “) no where in there did I see internet or system security expert. So what, exactly, makes him qualified to comment. I mean, I like MDN and get a chuckle out of a lot of things, but it would be a bit stronger rebuttle if the author knew (and if he does, if it were listed) something about security.
I’m a Solaris sys admin, but that doesn’t qualify me to go writing op-ed pieces about Cisco’s IOS…
Sounds like someone has a new virus and is resigned to receiving more malware with his Microsoft infested PC!
Hey, Bill, here’s a word for yah “alternative”, as in “another” operating system. Guess which one?
Yes, Bill, I would rather live with the possible risk of malware on my Mac than put up with the ever present peril of a never protected Windows machine.
Thanks for the insight though. Without your brilliant analysis, I would never know how dangerous and scary the future might really be.
I sent a short message to BBC about the article and this is what I got back from them. I mainly took offense at being called smug. This is what they wrote:
___________________
Dear Erick
Thank you for your e-mail. I read it with interest as I am always keen
on feedback from readers.
I take on board your comments but would like to reassure you that we do
not have an anti-Apple bias. We aim to provide comprehensive and
objective coverage of the world of technology and we decide what to
cover.
In his article, Bill Thompson was seeking to highlight that no computer
system is invulnerable.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts about our
coverage and I hope I can count on your continued readership.
Regards
Alfred
Alfred Hermida | Technology editor
http://www.bbcnews.com/technology
BBC News website
Fact 1: there are no known viruses for the Mac.
Fact 2: many PC users cannot accept Fact 1.
Opinion: Mac users are unbearably smug.
As a Mac user, I don’t agree with the opinion, which is not based on any stated facts.