According to a BusinessWeek article and excerpts from a book written by Salon journalist Farhad Manjoo, Apple fans are thin skinned and the new target online. The article centers on the new wave of attacks targeting Apple, and the book covers the reaction some Apple fans have after reading news coverage about their beloved company.
“Just as those living in shiny houses of self-righteous glass often end up surrounded by shards of their former sanctimony, so Apple Inc. now finds itself the increasingly appealing target of software hackers.” - Let\'s get ready to rumble!! (IMG:J.Anderson)
“Just as those living in shiny houses of self-righteous glass often end up surrounded by shards of their former sanctimony, so Apple Inc. now finds itself the increasingly appealing target of software hackers,” the BusinessWeek article starts.
Aside from the iPhone, there is nothing that suggests Apple is the target of anything. The iPhone quickly became a hobby for code hackers and software developers because it was closed source, and in need of severe expansion in the form of applications. In addition, most people didn’t like being stuck with AT&T. However, let’s explore the BusinessWeek article a little more.
“Apple, welcome to Microsoft's world!” the article states, which is odd, you see Apple was already a part of the Microsoft world. They both develop operating systems that, with varying degrees, operate cross platform.
“This is an environment in which you have to support thousands of developers of varying quality, and all sorts of apps, well made or not. Some of these developers make you look good, but others end up trashing your reputation. And despite your best efforts to monetize what they do, it's not always possible. The elegant simplicity of your platform just makes hacking easier. There is no such thing as real security. All you can do is throw up roadblocks—which, by the way, make it harder for both crooks and law-abiding citizens to drive on your roads.”
Ok, granted that with regard to security, the author Roger L. Kay does make a point. Often the weaker elements of an operating system are two fold. First is the human element, because more often than not users will click anything you ask them to, and the second is third party drivers and software.
However, the article needs, in this reporter’s opinion, some clearing up. There are no viruses for the iPhone. There are no reports of iPhone viruses, and no rumors of iPhone based Malware. (Unless you count stories written with no facts and based on pure FUD.) The dramatic boom in Macintosh sales does not instantly mean that hackers (the criminal type) are looking to take them out.
The spin in the article, related to the iPhone Dev Team’s release of Pwnage, is out of place. While written with a malicious slant, unlocking an iPhone, “to help programmers bypass the controls and tolls Apple hopes to impose on any iPhone application created with the just-released software kit,” is hardly a Malicious attack. This would demonstrate a flaw in Apple’s software development for the iPhone, and a desire to open the platform for what many think is a truly great phone.
“Although we have seen the first attempts by criminal gangs to make money through Mac OS X Malware, the fact of that matter is that there is only a tiny number of viruses and Trojan horses for Apple Macs when compared to Windows PCs. It seems unlikely that the Mac virus problem will ever be as big as the Windows one,” said Graham Cluley, of Sophos. “Yes, the Macintosh Malware threat is a concern - but it's important to put it in perspective.”
Currently some heavy hitters in the Virus protection world offer Mac based solutions.
McAfee: http://tinyurl.com/yqmuqeSymantec: http://tinyurl.com/ysojs9Sophos: http://tinyurl.com/2482dpTrend Micro (Press Release): http://tinyurl.com/36gox6
Macintosh users often take the stance that they are immune to Malware and other threats. To prove their point they argue that most Malware is written for Windows and that most attacks target Windows users. This is the start of the circle, which ties market share to potential risk for the end user.
If you follow security, or are interested in security, then you know this is simply not true.
While Malware and attacks online do in fact focus on Windows users, that is no reason to discount the potential risk to Macintosh users. Good security is just that, good security. While it might not be needed, the added security you can get from an AV product installed on your Mac is a real consideration.
If it were something that could be ignored then McAfee, Symantec, Sophos, Trend Micro, and others would not have developed Macintosh based products. This is true for both the office and home user, especially if a Mac is on a network with Windows systems.
With that said, the Macintosh is just as insecure as PC systems are. Again, no operating system is completely one hundred percent secure. If such an operating system existed, there would be no need for IT security. The largest cause of the insecurity in both platforms is development and humans. However, that statement will likely be seen as a slant towards Apple or Windows, maybe both.
“There is no such thing as a totally secure OS! Mac users (fanatics) love to point out that there is no "real" Malware code out there in the wild, and while this is currently true, it won't always be. Mac users still need to be aware of the issues and educate themselves. Keep their machines patched and their software up to date. This is the one thing, which can keep them gloating,” Eric Wolbrom, CEO and owner of a privacy focused company, aptly named Information Survival, said during an email conversation.
For the record, Eric is a Macintosh man, and as for myself, I use Ubuntu and Windows. I’m not against a Mac, I just have no use for one, as I am not an artist (most professional artistic types will swear by Macintosh) and for the cost of one Mac, I can buy two maybe three decent PCs. No one can hate me for that right?
BusinessWeek Article:http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2008/tc20080317_287032.htm
Salon article on why Apple fans hate tech reporters:http://machinist.salon.com/feature/2008/03/18/true_enough_excerpt_2/index.html
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