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Myth of the invulnerable Mac

Do you think that your Mac is invulnerable from malware such as viruses and trojans? Think again. It may be true that a computer running Mac OS X is less likely to attract malware than Windows but it’s also true that we should not be complacent just because we think we use a more secure platform.

Let’s establish this first: there is no such thing as an invulnerable computer platform. Whether it’s Mac, Windows, Linux or whatever else, they are all vulnerable 
to viruses, worms, trojans, hacks and anything else that a talented and tenacious person could 
come up with.

Apple’s operating system, Mac OS X (pronounced “ten”, not “x”) has an interesting history. When Steve Jobs, co-founder and 
current CEO of Apple, was kicked out of the company in 1985 he founded another computer 
company called NeXT.

They built a series of computers that ran an operating system called NeXTSTEP. Apple acquired NeXT in 1997 and in the process got NeXTSTEP, which is the foundation of Mac OS X. Steve Jobs also returned as CEO in 1997.

What you may not know is that in the pre-Mac OS X days Apple did actually have a significant malware problem. Mac OS versions up to 9 had problems with virus and other types of malware and running anti-malware software was common place, even a must. Perhaps some 
of you remember Disinfectant, which was a widely used, free 
virus-scanning and removal tool that existed for Mac operating systems before X was born.

Mac OS X’s arrival in 2001 changed all of that and even today, almost 10 years after the introduction, there are still no wide-spread malware problems on Apple computers.

Today, Microsoft Windows obviously dominates in terms of market share and even I readily admit that they’ve done a good job with Windows 7, introduced about a year ago now. After having talked to representatives of many of the main makers of security software for computers, like Symantec and Trend Micro, it’s clear to me that they agree that Microsoft did a 
good job with improving the 
security in Windows 7.

They also seem to agree that Mac OS X is not inherently more secure than Windows even though that view seems widely spread in the Mac community. I think there’s no doubt that Windows is attracting more attention from makers of malware because of the larger installed base. Simply, there’s more money to be made out of malware targeting Windows, and that’s what they’re after today, making money. They do this by stealing personal information, like credit card numbers, as well as use your computer to attack other computers.

As Apple sells more Macintosh computers it’s safe to assume that the bad guys will focus more on the Mac OS X platform. The message is clear: you have to stay alert and adjust your behaviour, even as Mac users. Because, no matter how safe your computer and your software is, it doesn’t matter if you are also not behaving in a secure manner.

The day when I recommend that all Mac users should install anti-malware software is not here yet but it’s approaching fast, I think. For now, if you act in a responsible way, especially when it comes to the Internet, you minimize the risk of something happening to you and your Mac.

But please don’t think you’re invulnerable just because you use a Mac. The sooner we accept that and adjust our behavior accordingly, the better off we all are