Apple systems more vulnerable to virus attacks than Microsoft, says Security Expert

by: Bradley Wint on April 17th, 2010 at 3:29 am

Share

With Apple products gaining more popularity, some hardcores are still in the dark believing that Apple software is much safer than the programs being run on a Microsoft based system. To add to the fact that Mac are more vulnerable that people think, ex-hacker, now security expert Marc Maiffret said that Apple systems haven’t really been in the spotlight due to their low market share, thus causing trojan and virus programmers to attack the PC because of its popularity.

He also added that with the Mac’s consumer market share growing, Apple has only begun to realize how serious the pending threats could have on their systems and are now working on trying to make their systems more secure rather than laying back and living on the hopes and dreams that no one would attack their systems.

Even though it will still be a while  before the Mac becomes a target of big interest, users need to step into the light and realize that they are not 100% safe as they would think they are.

Share

Have Something To Say? 11 Others Did!

  • Ucrazy – April 17th, 2010 – 4:26 PM

    U obviously have no idea what ur talking about. Mac OSX was built with security in mind. There is know way a virus can be downloaded on a apple computer without the user checking yes to download it. Windows on the other hand will let things download in the backround all the time without the users knowledge. To say windows is more secure than mac OSX is crazy. Do your research and ask apple usersbefore u right lies.

    • john – April 17th, 2010 – 4:59 PM

      stop buying into the Mac/apple BS. He never said they were more prone to a virus or anything, but dont be fooled to believe that its invinsible. The FBI database, and lots of other super important secure things are built on layers and layers of security something that Mac OSX is not, and they have all been attacked by hackers. Dont be a fool and think your OS is gonna save you from anything.

    • Bradley Wint – April 17th, 2010 – 7:50 PM

      @Ucrazy – I did my research, and I will stick with my PC thank you!

  • person ^^ is idiot – April 17th, 2010 – 4:30 PM

    he didnt say that it was safer, he said it wasnt 100 percent safe. if you think macs are safe go to ANY apple store and they have a whole sections filled with Anti-virus and internet security. so if your macs so safe why do do APPLE stores have antivirus?? means theyre not safe..

  • Matt – April 17th, 2010 – 4:31 PM

    Everything thats coded by humans can be broken into by humans. It’s as simple as that… there is nothing out there that is 100 percent unhackable in one way or another.

  • I hate Mac fanboys – April 17th, 2010 – 5:29 PM

    Mac fan boy Ucrazy, i’m sure that you are pulling from your VAST pool of knowledge about computers and hacking when you say that this person (you never specified you “U” was, the author or the expert)doesn’t know what they are talking about. Macs have been hacked before and viruses can be written for them,, but hackers don’t want to waste their time doing it. Also you might want to try spelling words correctly if you want to be taken seriously.

  • fashraf – April 17th, 2010 – 8:31 PM

    http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=5846

    for anyone thinks that it macs cannot be hacked.

  • Mac’s are overpriced – April 18th, 2010 – 5:41 PM

    “There is know way a virus can be downloaded…..Do your research and ask apple usersbefore u right lies.”

    Ucrazy we no you R write!

    Maybe they have some spelling tutorials in the app store…

  • the outsiderthe outsider – April 19th, 2010 – 7:13 AM

    Try hacking or installing a virus onto Unix. Then try on Windows. See which is easier. See which has more than the other. Make your own decision. M$ has been feeding users this line of crap for decades while Unix & Linux have less than 1% of Windows viruses. Sure noting is ‘hack’ proof, but come on people, wake up, there is a REAL difference between Unix and a PC. Educate yourselves in a school, not on the internet. The title of this article is only FUD, don’t buy it, don’t believe it.

    • Bradley Wint – April 19th, 2010 – 8:35 AM

      That’s all well and good but more novice or intermediate users may not be comfortable using a Unix/Linux based system, because it’s not as straight forward as Windows or Mac.

  • silly sillysilly silly – April 19th, 2010 – 10:29 AM

    Of course there are more security exploits known on Windows PC than on either Mac or Linux/Unix, it’s all to do with market share (as the article states). Hackers and Virus writers these days generally only write exploits for systems that can get them money, in order to get teh most money they needed the largest possible target, Macs and Unix don’t have a big audience therefore they’re not of interest. Unfortunately Apple did actually believe the hype that they made about Mac OS X being intrinsically safer and more secure than windows based on the fact that there were no viruses/trojans exploiting the system when this is totally facetious reasoning (think “this stone keeps tigers away”) hell there’s even trojans on the iphone which, with its wall gardened approach SHOULD be even more secure than a full blown Mac…