“Some things just aren’t credible on their face, so when George Ou mined Secunia’s security advisories for vulnerability data to prove that Mac OS X is less secure than Windows/XP, I had an immediate problem. According to his research Secunia’s security advisories since January 2004 cover about 238 serious Mac OS X vulnerabilities and only 95 Windows/XP ones, and a 2.5:1 ratio favoring Windows didn’t seem reasonable,” Paul Murphy blogs for ZDNet. “Now, in fact, Secunia doesn’t issue vulnerability reports, they issue security advisories – 37 of them with respect to Mac OS X and 151 with respect to Windows/XP (Home and Professional only), during the period. Since those numbers show a 4:1 ratio in Apple’s favor – the opposite of what George found – I’m guessing he got his result by looked inside each advisory to count the CVEs it mentioned.”
“Unfortunately that’s not the worst problem with the analysis. The biggest problem is that he invites the reader to draw a wholly erroneous conclusion from his numbers: that Mac OS is less secure than Windows/XP,” Murphy blogs. “The reality is that a vulnerability without an exploit doesn’t threaten anyone’s security… you need a legal login to get started and the exploit is aimed at raising your permission levels. That’s traditional for an attacker in a multi-user environment, but absurd for a MacOS X desktop machine for which the only legal user has full control already. In Wintel’s case virtually every vulnerability is exploitable; that’s why there are thousands of successful attacks and why we see a daily parade of new viruses, worms, or other threats… the simple reality is that almost no MacOS X users have ever been affected by viruses or worms – while virtually every Windows/XP user wastes at least some time on this every day.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The fact that the security of Mac OS X and Windows are even being discussed in the same breath means that the AV companies and Microsoft apologists are achieving their goal. It’s also another great proof that humans are generally stupid. Obviously, our headline and the whole discussion really should go without saying.
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Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple Mac OS X has a lot more vulnerabilities than Windows XP? – February 28, 2006
Enderle: Security vendors see Apple as next big opportunity – February 28, 2006
As Apple Mac grows in popularity, will security issues increase? – February 27, 2006
The Idiot’s Guide to Mac Viruses For Dummies 101 – February 24, 2006
Wired News: ‘Mac attack a load of crap’ – February 22, 2006
Report: Apple developing fix for automatic execution of shell scripts – February 21, 2006
Ars Technica: Fears over new Mac OS X ‘Leap-A’ trojan pointless – February 20, 2006
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This must come from obvious.com
~M
woo, up the apple!
Of course, that’s not to discount Murphy’s work.
I appreciate it. He had two great pieces a while back. One was proving that PCs actually cost more than Macs. The other showed beyond any doubt that Macs are faster than PCs.
He’s a sharp guy. (you know, for a Linux guy)
~M
Not only do Windows users waste time dealing with viruses as the article states – the article forgot to mention how much people spend on anti-virus software, as well as the hit that their CPU’s take trying to run the stuff in the background. Go Mac.
Thank be that someone is writing this somewhere other than here. This needs to go up in lights.,,because the TRUTH WILL OUT.
Someone spewing a little common sense for once when comparing the two platform’s security.
Man, check out the comments Paul Murphy is getting on his blog. He’s getting pounded!
Now, hopefully this is getting as much airplay and screenspace and ink as Georgie’s erroneous claims. But, sadly, I doubt it.
I don’t even click to read the “full story” anymore to read these idiots. I recommend no one else does either. Why give the author “hits” he doesn’t deserve.
And a reason more PC authors are writing about Apple – Windows comparisons. To get “hits”.
He’s just another pathetic PC user who’s embarrassed about himself. I won’t say “writer” because clearly all of these people on this bandwagon are not writers or anywhere “tech” knowledgable. Even though they claim to be.
And Microsoft’s operating system has one other thing to contend with and that’s spyware which wastes probably more users time on windows trying to get rid of it than viruses. The credability of Seconia’s claim was invalid from the very start and I hope most Mac users knew that already.
I’m just happy to see someone else write to state the obvious for OSX’s security which all of us knew already.
The facts are the facts….
The Apple OS is full of security holes. All you have to do is count the number of holes Apple has patched all ready.
In the “real IT world” we deal with the very simple concept – any security breach is a problem and OS X has so many more security problems then Windows. That is why Apple will never make inroads into the enterprise class environment either as a workstation or a server.
Apple computers make look nice but the are far more insecure then Windows.
®
note: the current patch still allows a bad .mov or .jpeg file to delete you entire user directory contents on a double click! no warning no cancel button – all of the files would be deleted instantly.
in·se·cure
adj.
Not sure or certain; doubtful: unemployed and facing an insecure future.
Inadequately guarded or protected; unsafe: A shortage of military police made the air base insecure.
Not firm or fixed; unsteady: an insecure foothold.
Lacking stability; troubled: an insecure relationship.
Lacking self-confidence; plagued by anxiety: had always felt insecure at parties.
My floors aren’t storm proof, lucky my roof fairs better.
the “real” it world is s*Iting in its collective pants and those that offer daily burnt offerings to Billy Boy and the Chair Thrower are in gear of their furure jobs. A lot of companies are replacing aging hardware with X Serves because they are not powerful enough to run the vaporware OS Vista.
Sputnick and his ilk are desperately looking for help from apple certified consultants, or getting apple certified themseleves for job security because their jobs are in jeopardy….and they can’t do anything about it. Many Non IT business execs are demanding their companies switch to XServe’s every day and the IT folks can’t stop it.
“The Apple OS is full of security holes. All you have to do is count the number of holes Apple has patched all ready.”
Funny, but when I setup a brand new PC just last week (with Windows XP SP2 pre-installed), it immediately needed TWENTY SIX critical security updates installed.
I don’t think OS X has had that many security updates released in the last five years, much less in the last couple of months since the date of that pre-loaded Windows XP SP2 image.
Once again, you’re proven to be a FUD spewing idiot.
Now that Mac OS X has proven itself insecure multiple times. (rememeber the URL handler exploits way back?)
It’s really irrelvant which is better, because both Windows and Mac OS X are insecure.
Trying to compare the two is like trying to judge which girl of two is more a “virgin” by how many times they had sex.
Mac OS X is insecure, it’s less secure than Windows and it’s rapidly becoming less and less of a advantage to stick with a overpriced minority platform.
Steve Jobs is so busy trying to milk the Macintosh user base for everything we got, that he’s ignoring the primary reason we stick to his machines, security and ease of use.
My next laptop most likely will be a dual core Windows Vista machine, my very first, because I don’t see the sense in paying a fortune for something I’m not getting.
RE:”MacDailyNews Take: The fact that the security of Mac OS X and Windows are even being discussed in the same breath means that the AV companies and Microsoft apologists are achieving their goal. It’s also another great proof that humans are generally stupid.”
Are the AV companies and the Microsoft apologists achieving their goal?
I have studied martial arts seriously for 10 years, and one of the most effective strategy in competition, and in life (same thing) is; if your opponent is using an obviously stupid tactic, make it easier for him to do more of it. Once he has shown how stupid his own tactic is, finish him off. Just do it after he is worn out.
Murphy is starting the process of finishing off George Ou’s foolish tactic.
When the supposedly “stupid” readers read through Ou’s and Murphy’s writings, I think most of them will come to the correct conclusion.
You have to let the match play out. You can’t show the superiority of the better tactic without seeing the inferior tactic.
Simple.
I don’t care what opinions others may have, I know from my own personal experience each and every day with both platforms as to which is definitely more secure. That’s why even though I use a Windows PC at work, I have an iMac Core Duo at home.
Like I sez before:
Windoze users sez: “Macs are just as insecure as Windows!”
I say: “‘Kay. Call me when the major Internet borne outbreak starts.”
I smell a subversive plot….
151 advisories to trumpet 95 Windows vulnerabilities…
37 advisories to trumpet 238 Mac OS vulnerabilities…
Something doesn’t add up.
My next laptop most likely will be a dual core Windows Vista machine, my very first, because I don’t see the sense in paying a fortune for something I’m not getting.
PCDude, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing, paying a fortune for a pig (DOS-based Windows) with lipstick (Vista). Congratulations on your dumbass choice.
“Apple computers make look nice but the are far more insecure then Windows.”
Sputnik is every bit as intelligent as his English.
What a squalid little nincompoop!
Sputnik and his crack-fueled ramblings are BACK!
It’s been a long time, but MacDude has been keeping up the bile spewing for him.