Mac Ping!
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Posted on 09/22/2009 6:08:18 AM PDT by Sudetenland
Hackers just like the PC more.
Regardless of which side you're on (though as a true computing enthusiast, you shouldn't be taking sides), you've heard the arguments back and forth on the which operating system is truly safer – Mac OS X or Windows.
It is of the opinion of Charlie Miller, a well known Mac security guru, that even Snow Leopard, the latest version of Mac OS X, isn't as safe as Windows.
One key point is that Snow Leopard still doesn't have ASLR, or address space layout randomization, which randomly arranges the position of key data making it harder for hackers to target for exploits.
Miller said to TechWorld that Apple didn't change the ASLR from 10.5 to 10.6: "Apple didn't change anything. It's the exact same ASLR as in Leopard, which means it's not very good."
Apple didn’t completely missed the chance to tighten up security in Snow Leopard though, as the new QuickTime solves a lot of the issues that Mac OS X had before.
"Apple rewrote a bunch of QuickTime," said Miller, "which was really smart, since it's been the source of lots of bugs in the past."
One thing that Snow Leopard did adapt, which Windows has had since XP SP2, is DEP (data execution prevention). With DEP, buffer overflow attacks are much harder to execute.
Despite Miller's opinion that Windows is the more secure OS, the large install based of Microsoft-based systems make them a much more attractive target for hackers. Still, Miller would like to see security on all platforms.
"Snow Leopard's more secure than Leopard, but it's not as secure as Vista or Windows 7," he said. "When Apple has both [in place], that's when I'll stop complaining about Apple's security."
Source : Tom's Hardware US
On the internet, even a dog is a King.
Now why don't you show us any scientific studies and papers you have actually written on computer security eh?And no, sheer bomb throwing is not good enough.
“While as I said, Windows 7 is better, it’s still not good enough.”
No good enough according to who? You?
Don't make me laugh.
It's going top be good enough for the 90% of computer buyers out there, and that is what counts.
Not to mention studies that are coming out would suggest that Windows 7 IS in fact more secure than the Mac.
Get used to that idea and it won't hurt so much ok?
I am aware that *nix systems have started to be targeted. I never said that they are immune. In fact, if you search some here on FR, you'll see my opinion that people and organizations should have a mix of OS/systems in order to minimize any particular security threat.
I am not a gamer. The biggest game I play is Diablo II. And it runs under Linux. I play some small puzzle-type games as well. They also run under Linux. There are very few these days that won't run under Linux if you know what you are doing. My kids play games. They also only run Linux. There are games out there that don't require you to pay $50 a shot--and they are just as fun.
My advice to people considering the switch is to take inventory of the programs run, determine if any can't run under the OS they are considering, and decide if they can live without those.
If they can't--don't switch. Regardless of my tagline, I tell people to run the OS that runs the programs they can't live without.
The desktop is for pikers.
LOL ...
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
Back when i had SuSE Professional 9.2, i installed AVG for Linux. i was pleasantly surprised to find out that i could run it on my WINDOWS XP hard drive (dual boot) from Linux.
i did once find a virus hiding in my Firefox cache. It was huddled in a corner, shivering, lost, looking for the registry.
Of course, i terminated it with extreme prejudice, after dissecting it with emacs to look at the function calls.
Thank goodness it isn't true!
Apple doesn’t have one feature that, if an attacker gains access to the system helps him better exploit it.
Except OS X is harder to gain access to in the first place.
Randomization is a good feature, and I wish OS X had it, but it’s just one part of a defense in depth. To claim an OS is less secure in the first place because it doesn’t have the feature is ridiculous. A better overall security architecture is far more important.
Not quite. Miller ignores Apple's different approach to system security. Miller for some reason prefers the Windows ASLR and DEP to the methods that Apple has chosen to use. First of all, Apple DOES use address space layout randomization for their dynamic libraries and system command locations. Miller also totally ignores the fact that data stacks and the heap are NON-EXECUTABLE memory spaces in OSX so his worry about buffer overflows is over wrought.
The point still must be made that after eight years of trying, no one has made a successful self-duplicating, self-transmitting, self-installing malicious virus for Mac OSX. The number of viruses in the wild for OSX is still ZERO. There are fewer than a dozen known Trojans and Apple has included an anti-Trojan method into the OS at the system level in OSX Snow Leopard that recognizes the signatures of known Trojans on download and warns the user that they have fallen for the social engineering and are downloading a malicious app.
As was Vista. Windows 7 is nothing more than Windows NT
with this seasons shade of lipstick.
Mac OSX has always been using the NX technology, all the way back to the PowerPCs, which had it built in.
If I go home tonight and my Mac is totally and irreversably infected it will be the first time in 20 years of using Mac’s that I have ever had the problem that has plagued Winbloze users on a daily basis for the same period of time and that puts me/Mac users way ahead.
I have Windows on my Mac. I consider it a “program” for playing games. In that respect, my Mac does everything a PC can and more.
First and foremost, I am a computer person.
When I was doing Unix builds, I was a Unix guy. I worked with PC’s because most people used them to interface with the Unix boxes.
Now that I work in a Windows environment, I’m a Windows guy.
If I worked in a Mac environment, I’d be Mac guy.
My basic interest is computers and maintaining whatever systems I’m working on.
The environment I enjoyed most was a Windows/Linux/OpenVMS network.
Now there was a challenge, maintaining connectivity between those systems.
Which is why I’ll never get the Linux/Windows/Mac sniping.
They’re all good tools, and, like anything else built by man, they have their strengths and weaknesses.
Utter rubbish!
All you gushing fan girls crack me up - Just grow up and use what you want.
“They want to deceive their people first because now they are in a very shabby situation,” - Baghdad Bob
Yep, most real systems have done that for years. It was only Windows that didn’t which is why windows suffered from all the viruses. It is a hardware MMU issue.
I am not sure where MS stands on backporting NX to older 32 bit OSes, I do know they support it in Windows 7 64 bit. Vista not sure. I was told by MS they were backporting to XP the support, but never tested it. I plan on recommending people use only Windows 7 64 bit, I feel it’s the best for new hardware for windows users.
But the usual new release push is on with MS propaganda against the *NIXes.
Most newer 64 bit CPUs from Intel and AMD have NX capability, the OS software still must enable it for functionality. With older chips you need to check the vendor site. It’s probably one of the most significant things that you can do to prevent viruses. With Intel chips, Apple hasn’t been 100% with their support I was told — Some Intel chips Apple chose did not have NX capability. The *NIXes usually did software emulation of the NX capability to try and help prevent errors, but not sure of MacOS.
But not a Mac user here, cost is the only reason, windows and Linux for me.
This worry was discussed heavily when Apple switched from PowerPC to Intel... but it was not a problem. Most of the later discussion came on the Hackintosh websites where PC owners were hacking their generic boxes to run OSX and many of their 32bit only processors did not include it. The fully 64 bit capable Intel processors Apple uses did include the NX switch.
Utter rubbish!
Either you do not know how to follow the link Any IT on your CV ?
provided or you are functionally illiterate.
Now that's just funny.
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