That is why I run Mac. 18 years, and never had a problem, PC's. Just not even worth the hassle of dealing with viruses. Amazes me how someone with nothing better to do than make viruses that affect peoples computers.
Posted by Mark Stahlke on April 29, 2010 at 1:55 PM
I'm with you on that, Mike. Linux and Mac are the only ways to fly. I can't understand why so many people put up with so much less. Now I have to go put on my Nomex underwear.
Posted by Luke Ormand on April 29, 2010 at 2:07 PM
Or you could shift over from the aging outdated and bloated IE and use firefox or chrome
It scares me a lot that Mac users (and I'm one) have become complacent. It's just a matter of time before Mac becomes a serious target and the scales tip. And I doubt any of us are prepared, literally or psychologically. You wont hear me crowing. It's more like cowering.
Frankly I was relieved to hear it implied that Macs aren't affected this particular time. I use a laptop a LOT, and on Macs the F1 key is also used to dim the screen, a feature I also use a lot.
Posted by David Bostedo on April 29, 2010 at 3:38 PM
I believe that this was fixed by a Microsoft security update on April 13th...so if you stay up to date with Windows patches (and you should) this is already gone. Also, it was extremely unlikely to affect anyone using Vista or Windows7 in the first place. See this MS Security Bulletin for more info.
Hank, Complacent not a chance. I smile each day I am on my mac, and go about business without a single problem ever. PC, on the otherhand, always has problems.
Vulnerable they're not! We have 8 macs 3 PC, running 3 different servers with 16 drives, and an extra Drobo drive. Mac, do not get infected with Viruses! We do not shut our servers down, and guess what, we never have problems with Macs, it is only PC's that we get problems with.
"It's just a matter of time before Mac becomes a serious target and the scales tip"
I agree with Hank on this. Here to fore, Macs have not been targeted by hackers because the return on their 'investment' is low due to the relatively small installed base. As more hardware and applications for Mac products, including the iPad, iPhone and iPod are put in use, the hackers will target them.
To my mind, operating a computer or connected device, regardless of the platform, today and in the future, without due diligence to protect our data and identity from attack only invites serious problems.
Like hard drive failure, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, cyber attacks are a case of not 'if', but 'when'.
--P
Posted by David Bostedo on April 30, 2010 at 12:19 PM
To add to what Preston said, Linux (which is very similar to OSX under the covers) is usually pretty bullet proof too, because there isn't much of a pay-off for someone to attack. However, higher value targets like companies and universities can still be targeted. I know of/have studied several incidents on Linux systems, included full control intrusion and viruses. These were of university labs and government agencies, and essentially required a knowledgeable response team to take care of and restore the systems.
We also studied a few exploits that can occur on Macs, even though no virus for Macs has been observed "in the wild" (actually replicating and moving from Mac to Mac without the users intent). There have been a few trojans which required user intervention to install - so it was more like opening a random email attachment than a virus. (And if someone can get you to open random attachments or downloads, then no system is secure.)
But Linux/Unix/OSX systems ARE harder to crack with viruses and trojans than Windows, as they are a bit more inherently secure. That said, with the right setup, Windows is pretty secure too, it just takes a bit more knowledge and hassle with software.
Discussion
10 repliesAs Hank said, don't think Macs are not vulnerable.
Sandy r
Frankly I was relieved to hear it implied that Macs aren't affected this particular time. I use a laptop a LOT, and on Macs the F1 key is also used to dim the screen, a feature I also use a lot.
Vulnerable they're not! We have 8 macs 3 PC, running 3 different servers with 16 drives, and an extra Drobo drive. Mac, do not get infected with Viruses! We do not shut our servers down, and guess what, we never have problems with Macs, it is only PC's that we get problems with.
I agree with Hank on this. Here to fore, Macs have not been targeted by hackers because the return on their 'investment' is low due to the relatively small installed base. As more hardware and applications for Mac products, including the iPad, iPhone and iPod are put in use, the hackers will target them.
To my mind, operating a computer or connected device, regardless of the platform, today and in the future, without due diligence to protect our data and identity from attack only invites serious problems.
Like hard drive failure, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, cyber attacks are a case of not 'if', but 'when'.
--P
We also studied a few exploits that can occur on Macs, even though no virus for Macs has been observed "in the wild" (actually replicating and moving from Mac to Mac without the users intent). There have been a few trojans which required user intervention to install - so it was more like opening a random email attachment than a virus. (And if someone can get you to open random attachments or downloads, then no system is secure.)
But Linux/Unix/OSX systems ARE harder to crack with viruses and trojans than Windows, as they are a bit more inherently secure. That said, with the right setup, Windows is pretty secure too, it just takes a bit more knowledge and hassle with software.