I'm going to accept your response as a legitimate topic of discussion. I am not really interested in perusing hacker sites so I'll have to take your word that this is a RECENT phenomenon. I am interested in how you may have come to this conclusion however. Do hacker sites have archives which go back six years that you have diligently researched? If so, I hope that you'll find a way to share the results of your research with us at some point.
I have no argument with you about the interest of hackers in the Mac OS. In fact, you will find few if any who would disagree. We only differ on the date. You insist it is recent, I believe it is ongoing.
Your posts chide Mac users for being smug about security issues, but you’ve also claimed that the Mac OS is “inherently more secure than Windows.” You can’t have it both ways. If we say the Mac is more secure, you call us smug. Worse, we have enraged the hacker community. What are we to do?
Any time that any software is going to be installed on my Mac, I have to enter an administrator’s password to allow the continuation. That’s simple enough isn’t it? Yet yesterday, with all anti-virus software on alert, a client plugged a thumb drive into the Windows box. Once the open window was cleared, I noticed a dialog box that claimed that Windows had installed something and asked if I wanted to restart. You can’t install anything on my Mac without my permission. Why can you install something on Windows without my permission? I have no idea what it was. I said no, crossed my fingers and went on with my work. I’m still worried about it. That kind of stuff never happens on my Mac. Might it some day? Sure, but it hasn’t happened in six years? We like that.
I used Mac anti-virus software on OS 7 and 8. I will use it again if it becomes necessary. I don’t now. Not tryin’ to be smug.
I can't? Why not? Begging your pardon, I most certainly can, and do have it both ways. More secure doesn't mean impervious to attack, and while you will certainly get no argument from me about OS X being a more secure platform, the attitude that it cannot possibly be exploited is wrong headed. I am interested in how you may have come to this conclusion however. Do hacker sites have archives which go back six years that you have diligently researched? If so, I hope that you'll find a way to share the results of your research with us at some point.
I won't be sharing any results, and my information about the timing and nature of collaborative macking come from others in the field that have been in this game much longer than I have. I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. Or not. It matters not to me. You can’t install anything on my Mac without my permission. Why can you install something on Windows without my permission?
Set up a non-administrator account, then deny permission for modifying the registry in the mandatory profile you set up to do day to day tasks on the machine and let your worries end. Windows default security is pretty light, but it's there if you want it.