Security Ripcord

A friend of mine recently informed me that he was considering the switch from Windows to Macintosh. Now, if this friend of mine were a computer geek, or a graphic artist, or even somebody who like messing with new things, I might not have been concerned. However, none of these things are the case. My friend’s sole reason for switching is because Apple’s Macintosh computers do not get viruses.

Unfortunately this type of attitude happens a lot around uninformed technology users. They are not aware that security is more than just a perception with a pretty case. It is a complex organism that consists of the operating system, applications, hardware, and firmware. The integrity of each one of these affects that rest. Here are a few examples that persons switching to a Macintosh based system should consider before making the move based on this logic.

• The recent move of Apple to Intel based chips exposes these systems to an area of technology that has been heavily researched by hackers and malicious users for years. Their knowledge of these types of systems will speed up the development of exploit code for newly discovered vulnerabilities. Additionally, because Macintosh programmers are moving from the world of PowerPC to Intel x 86 there is potential that they will make mistakes that have already been discovered and, possibly, exploited. See Paul F. Roberts January 26, 2006 article at eWeek.com for more information about this concern.
• The very recent and extremely serious vulnerability in OS X proves that even the best programmers, on what many consider to be a very secure operating system, can make huge and dangerous errors. The Handlers at the SANS Internet Storm Center cover this topic very well. All Macintosh owners should review this writeup and update their systems immediate once a patch for this security concern is available.
• Macintosh users that choose (or are forced) to use programs from the Microsoft Office Suite are subject to all of the Macro Viruses that affect their Microsoft Windows brethren. Although the ramifications may be different the potential for evil and destruction remains. Knowledge of this goes way back as can be seen in an old CNET article on this subject, aptly named “Security flaw in Microsoft Office for Mac,” from April 16, 2002.
• Network Windows and Macintosh computers together is not for the non-computer savy user. Although there are many sites that help overcome this problem the details can be a bit complicated and cumbersome (i.e. not for the keyboard challenged).
• There are Trojan Horse programs in the wild that specifically target the Macintosh OS X operating system. A staff writer for MacNewsWorld wrote about this in the article titled ” Mac Trojan Masquerades as MS Word Installer” that was published on May 13, 2004.

Hopefully, anybody out there considering making the switch from Windows to Macintosh will have a good reason to do so. The Macintosh systems are very good and personally I believe in the moto, “The right tool for the right job.” If a Macintosh is the right tool for the project you are working on then, by all means, make the switch. However, don’t go through all of the pain and suffering just because somebody (who doesn’t know what they are talking about) told you that they don’t make viruses for these systems. You just may be sadly mistaken.

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