Posted on 02/06/2010 12:09:39 PM PST by driftdiver
When I am asked the question "Which is more secure, Mac or PC?" I find myself stumbling around for a response because I don't have a clear-cut answer. I use both. And I use antivirus software with both.
So I decided to conduct an informal survey of a bunch of security experts and see what they had to say in the hopes that people can use the information to help them come to their own conclusions.
Before I provide quotes from the 32 experts who participated in the survey, along with edited comments from an interview with a Microsoft representative and a link that Apple provided, I'd like to share some relevant research from antivirus vendor ESET.
More than half of Americans believe that PCs are "very" or "extremely" vulnerable to cybercrime attacks, while only 20 percent say the same about Macs, according to this ESET survey. (Credit: ESET)
ESET released the results of a survey in November related to awareness of cybercrime in the U.S. The survey of more than 1,000 people found that while both PC and Mac users perceive the Mac as being safer, Mac users are victims of cybercrime just as frequently as PC user
(Excerpt) Read more at news.cnet.com ...
Didn’t mean to be rude but the term PC is traditionally used for a Windows machine. But I understand your point that a PC is a PC.
Can you point me to a server where that happens?
www.walmart.com was compromised at one time.
Can you point to any site anywhere that will compromise my Mac?
My wife says that's ugly. I think it's beautiful!
I know the common usage is that Windows = PC, but it is just one of those pet peeves for me.
I’ve used PCs for years, and haven’t used Windows.
Here is another article you might find interesting http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/02/11/mac.os.vulnerabilities/
I seem to recall a few years back, some guy set up a C64 web server.
I’ve used this site to test the strength of passwords I’ve created. It seems to work well. http://www.securepasswords.net/site/TestPassword.html
Also, how do you know when it’s safe to let your system update with the updates by MS? I’ve read on FR posts where people state that the updates themselves can also cause problems.
” Can you point to any site anywhere that will compromise my Mac?”
I see you are choosing to be obtuse.
No, the world is perfect, go back to your mac and ignore reality.
Meanwhile apple continues to release patches to fix those non-existent bugs.
Star Traveler I am afraid that we are going to have to wait a lot longer. There simply isn't a virus in the wild that attacks Macs. Driftdiver can't show us anything, all he has is FUD.
As far as PC's go though, if driftdiver would like I could send him an Email, that would make him tear his mask off and voluntarily drown.
Drink the Mac cool aid and all will be well.
Ignore the experts, stay in your 1980’s world.
“I seem to recall a few years back, some guy set up a C64 web server. “
Wow, I bet that ole tape drive really slows performance down.
Worthy a post all by itself - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9147138/Users_still_make_hacking_easy_with_weak_passwords
In fact, the most common password among RockYou users was “123456,” followed by “12345” and “123456789.” The other passwords rounding out the top five were “password” and “iloveyou.”
Really doesn’t matter what OS you are using if you use these passwords. On a recent scan of a corporate application there was only 1 user password we could not break. We only tested for 15 minutes.
Any software installation can cause problems. I let others try them first before I install. The only problem I’ve ever had though was an automatic install Seagate did on some drives which turned them into bricks. Kinda scary that harddrive makers are tracking our drives and installing code on them without approval.
Can you point to a single site that can infect my Mac with a virus?
You can't. I know of a Trojan or two, but anyone stupid enough to download a Trojan deserves whatever grief they get.
I happen to know a little bit about viruses. There are two primary reasons why Macs don't have viruses and Windows users do. The number one reason is Games. Windows allows game programmers (any program actually) to completely take control of the microprocessor and memory through hooks. Macs OS never gives up control and it enforces strict memory and processor control. Programmers hate that.
The second reason is Windows is pure software. It is just another program. The Mac OS is part firmware and without physical access to the computer there isn't any getting around it.
That means the only vector to infect a Mac is through the peripheral programs, which is entirely possible, but it isn't much fun, because the OS is still in charge. Which pretty much limits you to the program and its compartmentalized memory (like FireFox) that you have infected. The bad thing about this is that now the virus has to keep the infected program running without crashing it. This is an entirely different proposition than infecting a windows program and simply taking control of the computer.
Windows 7 by the way (a good operating system) has made some big strides in maintaining control of the system and enforcing delegation of CPU time and memory.
I'll make a prophecy : ) (I am an atheist so that should be funny) In two more OS generations Viruses will be a thing of the past for OS's. We will always have Trojans (Windows is a Trojan) but viruses have run their course.
Star Traveler I am afraid that we are going to have to wait a lot longer. There simply isn't a virus in the wild that attacks Macs. Driftdiver can't show us anything, all he has is FUD.
Ya know... someome coming across this discussion and seeing me ask for a virus on a PDF file or a jpeg -- may sound like rhetoric and a cute argument and hoping that someone couldn't find it right then and nothing would come of it...
But, that's not what I'm doing... You see..., I've never heard of it, have never seen it and I don't think it exists for a Macintosh -- so I would really like to see it for my own curiosity and so... I'm waiting to get this virus in a PDF or a jpeg file...
Please send me to the site.... this should be very interesting for me, and I'm a curious sort of guy, doncha know... :-)
yeah, that tired old spiel just don’t cut it anymore.
Apple nearly went bankrupt and wouldn’t have had a market to return to if it wasn’t for microsoft. When windows 7 was released they sold more upgrades in a few days than apple has total in their base.
Windows and Microsoft sure aren’t perfect but the free market chose them over apple time and time again.
Apple seems to disagree with you. man your blind obedience overshadows them. thats pretty amazing
yeah, that tired old spiel just don’t cut it anymore.
Ummmm... "Where's the beef?!" LOL...
I mean, where's the virus... no really...., as I said, I'm a curious sort of guy and I'm wanting to get that virus on a PDF and/or a jpeg file and infect my machine... [yeah, I like to do those sorts of things... crazy but true... LOL...]
But, you're disappointing me, because I was getting excited there, thinking that I was going to see my second virus in 25 years... hmmm.... back to no viruses once more on my machine... this is way too boring... :-)
Apple seems to disagree with you. man your blind obedience overshadows them. thats pretty amazing
There's no blind obedience... I'm just trying to find a Macintosh virus in a PDF file or a jpeg file... can you help me out... please? LOL...
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