In an unusual move, Apple has stated in an official document that “no system can be 100 percent immune from every threat,” and that antivirus software can help provide additional protection for Mac systems.
This isn’t the first time that Apple has mentioned that its operating system isn’t completely bulletproof. The reality is, software is very complex and creating a truly 100% secure software is very difficult. This is the challenge met by many other software companies like Microsoft, and Adobe that are also forced to release regular updates patching security flaws in their software.
That being said, Apple has denied the need for additional security software in the recent past. This time around, the admission comes as particularly significant, considering the increased blog and print chatter regarding security vulnerabilities in Mac OS X.
According to Apple, Mac OS X offers a range of security measures against viruses and malware built right into the operating system, and in our opinion it does a great job of it. There are simple warnings like a dialog popup box that reminds you downloaded content can be malicious and are you sure you trust the source before installing.
There are other security measures like phishing protection, the ability to encrypt your drive on the fly, disabling automatic login and parental controls, however many of the security features aren’t related to web based attacks other than the warnings before software installs. Unfortuantely, Javascript malware added to unsuspecting (hacked) websites is often the cause of many attacks not preventable with standard security measures on Mac OS X. This has been demonstrated by security analyst Charlie Miller at Pwn2Own for the past two years with Safari the weak link in a Mac being compromised and taken over by an attacker over telnet.
Related posts:
- Apple Releases Security Updates for MobileMe
- Apple Continues to Bolster Security Department
- Mac Security Problems Exposed at Pwn2Own
- New Security Specialist Joins Apple
- How To Speed Up My Mac: Simple Ways to Increase Mac Speed
