Security Topic

Things that make you go hmmm.  Mac users are quick to argue that Macs are not subject to virus infection.  Apple even touts this fact in numerous ways including on their web site and in their "Viruses" Get a Mac ad.  If that's the case, why is the Apple store selling antivirus software for the Mac? Is Apple endorsing antivirus software for the Mac?

A Consumer Reports "State of the net 2006" nationwide survey found that consumers paid as high as $7.8 billion over the past two years to replace or repair their computers that were infected with viruses and spyware.  The survey assessed the likelihood and impact of spam, viruses, spyware, and phishing.  The data from the survey demonstrates that PC users are suffering massive losses from Internet hazards that can cause havoc, slow down systems, and even make the systems unusable.

Computer users who are looking for a secure operating system need not look further than Mac OS X.  In a prior post, I described the Key Isolation Features in Mac OS X.  In this post I'll describe how Apple ships every Mac with default out-of-the-box security.  I will then outline some hardening tasks one can undertake to a make a Mac more secure.  The goal of this post is to describe to those not familiar with OS X how secure a Mac is and can be.  For those tired of viruses, spyware, malware, and security vulnerabilities, the inherent security features in Mac OS X could be reason enough to provoke the decision to make the switch.

In a blog post on July 13, 2006 at Symantec's website, Symantec states the following:

"Let’s start with the hot-button issue of Mac OS X viruses. Simply put, at the time of writing this article, there are no file-infecting viruses that can infect Mac OS X"

Sophos, a leader in integrated threat management solutions, is recommending that home computer users should consider making the Switch to a Mac.  The experts at SophosLabs demonstrate in the Sophos Security Threat Management Report (July 2006) that security threats to Windows based PCs have increased to such a degree that users should consider purchasing a Mac.

Although Apple released the desktop version of Mac OS X (10.0) in March 2001, the under pinning of the OS X operating system are over 30 years old.  In simplistic terms, Mac OS X is based on the BSD implementation of the UNIX operating system.  BSD in turn is a derivative of the original UNIX created by AT&T which was originally created in the 1960's and 1970's.  This article will describe the user account types as they are implemented in Mac OS X.

Most Windows users are familiar with Symantec in some shape or form.  Symantec sells the popular Norton line of products that includes Norton AntiVirus, Norton Personal Firewall, and Norton Internet Security.  Windows users typically install these or similar programs to protect their computers from the over 114,000 viruses, trojans, spyware, and malware.