“The recent move by Apple Computer to begin shipping Macintosh computers that use microprocessors from Intel could open the door to more attacks against computers running the company’s OS X operating system, security experts warn,” Paul F. Roberts reports for eWeek. “The shift to Intel processors from the Motorola Power PC processors will make it easier to create software exploits for Macintosh systems, and could result in a steady stream of Mac exploits in years to come.”
“The change could put more pressure on Apple to build security features into OS X, according to interviews conducted by eWEEK,” Roberts reports. “Apple declined requests for interviews. In an e-mail statement, the company said that the security technologies and processes that have made Mac OS X secure for PowerPC remain the same for Intel-based Macs.”
Full article, in which Roberts dredges up “experts” from the likes of Symantec (big surprise) and others to talk their way around the statement ” the security technologies and processes that have made Mac OS X secure for PowerPC remain the same for Intel-based Macs” for three pages, here.
MacDailyNews Take: It is our contention that articles such as the one above are intended to confuse one very simple issue — that Apple Mac OS X users have had zero viruses in the over 5 years since Mac OS X debuted while Windows has been repeatedly decimated by viruses — in order, not to inform Mac users, but to confuse average computer buyers by implying that “Macs are or will be the same as Windows, so don’t bother with a Mac” and/or to sell crappy “security” software to Mac users who might not understand the situation fully.
Guess who picked the “story” right up and blogged it for CNET? That’s right, Munir Kotadia (ZDNet Australia publishes latest Mac OS X security FUD article – January 26, 2006).
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Related articles:
Windows virus threatens 170-year-old Toldeo newspaper’s perfect record, Apple Macs save the day – January 27, 2006
ZDNet Australia publishes latest Mac OS X security FUD article – January 26, 2006
‘Highly critical’ flaw in discovered in Symantec AntiVirus for Mac OS X – December 21, 2005
Microsoft Windows virus spreads rapidly; Apple Macintosh unaffected – November 28, 2005
Computer columnist: anti-virus software purely optional for Apple Macs, not so for Windows – November 01, 2005
Microsoft apologists and why Apple’s Mac OS X has zero viruses – October 24, 2005
$500 bounty offered for proof of first Apple Mac OS X virus – September 27, 2005
ZDNet: How many Mac OS X users affected by the last 100 viruses? None, zero, not one, not ever – August 18, 2005