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Mac Install-Base Shown to Be 16%
Kelly McNeill writes "MacDailyNews has an editorial which summarizes reports from various research groups that analyzed the number of computer users affected by viruses. The conclusion was that 16 percent of all computer users are not affected by viruses because they use Macs. The lack of viruses on a Mac is commonly known, but the interesting thing is the fact that the results finally provide the first set of conclusive numbers which illustrate the Macintosh's install-base. So far only "market-share" statistics are commonly published for the public and do not convey install base. (If for example 2 people are using computers and one replaces his 2x in a 3 year period and the other only does once, market-share dynamics dictate that one demographic has 75% market share while the other has only 25% -- even though install base is still 50/50.)"
In the WinTel world, could you do this? Or maybe you should ask, 'Do I really want all of that paranoia to go away? Do I really want to spend more time enjoying whatever the hell I do on my 'puter, or maybe I should continue wasting hours every week on security crap that shouldn't be a problem in the first place? Hey. It's just a question.
How is this Winn Schwartau guy a security expert? I have no idea what he's doing, but I barely worry about security on my Windows machine. I probably spend a few minutes at the most each month checking my security with one or two programs.
The key to avoiding viruses and spyware is intelligence. You have to be intelligent enough to realize that you shouldn't use Internet Explorer. Switch to Firefox. That's it. Firefox does an excellent job of protecting the user. Everything you do after that is optional. Once you use Firefox to browse the Internet, you can reasonably expect, provided you don't click every suspicious link to see on Google, no viruses on your machine -- which is coincidentally the number of viruses I have experienced in the last two years.
Can I be called a security expert now?
If you're reading this, stop it.
Don't bother. For these guys, the only good software is free software.
The owls are not what they seem
My first reaction when I listen someone claiming that he doesn't have viruses on his Windows computer it to doubt it. Not related to reputation or competence* (even because you are an AC), but I doubt you, and I am not alone. It is so common to Windows computers being infected by invisible malware that you should specify exacly how do you look for them if you whant most of the people here belive you.
*It is possible that some people very competent on this specific area know that their computers are free of malware, but most of them would say that their PC have no malware they know about. Most of the people that state that theyir Windows PC have no malware just didn't look far enogh.
Rethinking email