"Experts" Say Macs Are Not Safer Than PCs

MoneyT writes "As reported at vnunet, experts are claiming that Macs are no safer than PCs in terms of protection from a virus. Seems more to me like they're just saying that we Mac users aren't invulnerable, but until I see things like nimda taking out my Mac, I'll stick with the iBook." The article doesn't mention that the "7,000 macro viruses" attack Microsoft products (leaving uses of a Mac only as a web server completely protected from them), nor does it quote any statistics about how many Mac vs. Windows viruses exist, and it doesn't address the real- world fact that Macs are hit with viruses far less often than Windows machines.

Comments

Beeyatches

[m_evanchik]

All your base are up your nose with a rubber hose.

Boy, that felt good.

meep

[blueroo]

meep. hehe

Experts explode 'Mac is safer' myth

[Anonymous Coward]

Any platform with a flaw is a target, says Symantec

Mac users are no safer from the threat of viruses than Windows users, according to experts who have just shattered a long standing myth.
Antivirus firm Symantec said that over three quarters of Mac users are under the illusion that they are not a target for virus writers and hackers. It is a misconception commonly shared by users of the Linux operating system.

In fact, 62 per cent of Mac users said that increased security was the main reason for them moving to the platform, according to Symantec.

In the past even the US Army has moved its web servers over to MacOS in the mistaken belief that they will be more secure.

But Kevin Chapman of Symantec said: "It doesn't matter to a virus or a hacker what platform a machine is running on. If it has a vulnerability then it's a target.

"Obviously there are more PC-only viruses out there, but there are still over 7,000 macro viruses which can hit either Mac or PC platforms."

Chapman explained that, because of the Mac's age, some of the first viruses ever written were for a Mac and some writers still target the platform specifically.

There's even a release of the infamous Sub7 Trojan in Alpha development at the moment, he added.

"Another big problem Mac users don't think about is that they make perfect incubators for Windows viruses," said Chapman.

"A Mac user can get a virus from a Windows machine that won't affect them but, if it's attached to a document or a file, then they can pass it on to another Windows machine."

At the time of going to press Apple was unavailable for comment

Re:No Data?

[MoneyT]

Sorry, I had to contribute the story cause I knew that the editors wouldn't be able to resist. Besides, after having 4 rejections, I needed an accepted.

Re:No Data?

[Jebediah21]

I don't blame you at all. Hell, it is an eye-catcher. Just bothers me that the editors get baited by such things.