Apple yanks Macintosh anti-virus software advice

AFP via Breitbart ^ | Dec 3, 2008 | AFP

[Jet Jaguar]

Apple has replaced advice that people install anti-virus software on Macintosh computers with assurances that the machines are safe "out of the box."

The move prompted online speculation as to whether Apple was merely polishing the Macintosh image or that the increasingly popular computers are as impervious to hackers as the California company maintains.

Apple routinely touts how rarely Macintosh computers are afflicted with malicious software as compared to machines based on Microsoft Windows operating systems, which run more than 90 percent of the computers in the world.

On Tuesday Apple removed a 2007 Knowledge Base posting telling people to install "multiple anti-virus utilities" in Macintosh computers to thwart ill-willed software savants with arrays of defenses.

"We removed the Knowledge Base article because it was old and inaccurate," Apple spokeswoman Monica Sarkar said Wednesday.

"The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protections against malicious software and security threats right out of the box."

Some software specialists believe that Macintosh computers have been spared attacks mostly because hackers see more return in targeting Windows-based machines that make up the bulk of the market.

Macintosh sales have rocketed with the popularity of Apple's iPhones and iPods, but the rising profile of the computers has also made them more appealing to hackers.

Software security firms consistently urge people to protect computers with anti-virus software kept up-to-date no matter the operating systems used.

"Since no system can be 100 percent immune for every threat, running anti-virus software may offer additional protection," Sarkar said.

[Jet Jaguar]

ping.

[OneWingedShark]

Translation: “Our shit doesn’t stink!”

[papasmurf]

That's just irresponsible. Nothing is "safe out of the box", nothing. The following article proves it.

The conventional wisdom, that Mac's OS X is superior to Windows Vista, is flat-out wrong. In fact, despite much belief to the contrary, Vista is a superior operating system. Here are five reasons why.

Five reasons why Vista beats Mac OS X

Reason #2: Vista is safer As I've written before, Vista is a more secure operating system than Mac OS X. Mac OS X was easier to crack in a recent hacking contest. And security researcher Dino Dai Zovi had this to say about Vista versus Mac OS X when it comes to security:

I have found the code quality, at least in terms of security, to be much better overall in Vista than Mac OS X 10.4. It is obvious from observing affected components in security patches that Microsoft's Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) has resulted in fewer vulnerabilities in newly-written code.

I'm not saying I agree, I don't, I think Mac OS X is superior to Vista, but, Mac does have some room for improvement and for an OEM to make a statement like that is just plain wrong.

Besides, everybody knows Linux is the schizel! LOL

[ferri]

hmmmmm maybe i’m crazy but i always thought that even though an Apple wouldn’t be infected by a virus they could still pass it on to all their non-apple friends. is that not right? if it is then it is irresponsible to say they don’t need to have any kind of protection. (i just got a mental image of an apple in a condom. LOL)

[Mr. Jazzy]

“On Tuesday Apple removed a 2007 Knowledge Base posting telling people to install “multiple anti-virus utilities” in Macintosh computers to thwart ill-willed software savants with arrays of defenses.”

This is perhaps poorly worded and the reason is was pulled from their knowledge base.

You should NEVER install MULTIPLE anti-virus utilities on the same computer. NEVER.

[null and void]

Any fourth grader can tell you condoms don’t go on Apples they go on cucumbers...

[ferri]

oops, my mistake. thanks for setting me straight. lol

[ScoochDude]

No, its because all of those little b@$t@rd$ that create viruses, use Macs. They don’t want to screw up their on computers.

[goldstategop]

Its NOT necessary on a Mac. The chances of getting infected are slim to none. The only third party security software one needs is a firewall. That's it.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[doc11355]

Translation: “Our shit doesn’t stink!”

Better translation: "Our operating system isn't a POS"

[Swordmaker]

Apple responds to the FUD released earlier this week about a 1992/2002/2007/2008 KnowledgeBase article seeming to advocate that Mac OS X needs multiple ant-viral applications...PING!

Mac FUD response Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

Reason #2: Vista is safer As I've written before, Vista is a more secure operating system than Mac OS X. Mac OS X was easier to crack in a recent hacking contest. And security researcher Dino Dai Zovi had this to say about Vista versus Mac OS X when it comes to security:

The hacker, Chuck Miller, who won the MacBook Air, is an ex-NSA computer security specialist. He and his team of two other ex-NSA computer specialists spent three weeks preparing for that challenge. That is why the Mac was breeched in 24 hours plus 2 minutes into the contest.

(All target computers resisted the first day of challenges when the computers had to hacked purely from the outside. It was only on the second day when the rules were relaxed and the hackers could direct the referees to navigate to a prepared site and click on a specified link that any of the computers were violated.)

The winner of the Sony Vaio Windows Vista laptop succeeded in breeching it in 24 hours plus six hours. However, he says he did no prior preparation and all of his efforts were contained in the six hours of the second day starting from scratch. The Linux laptop was never breeched.

Chuck Miller stated that his vulnerability would have exploited all three of the computers with equal ease—it was not an OS dependent issue but, rather, a vulnerability in Java that gave him entry to add a file to the user's account—he targeted the Mac because 1> he wanted the MacBook Air, and 2> he wanted to stick it to Apple.

[chris_bdba]

Only if someone sent it to someone on a mac in an email and they purposely forwarded it to you! Ohterwise the virus can’t propagate itself and just sits there as code.

[ferri]

okay, but if it is attached to something, like a video or something it could be forwarded right? (can you tell this is murky for me? lol)

[bamahead]

ping

[Cacique]

btt

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"This is perhaps poorly worded and the reason is was pulled from their knowledge base."

Yes. The original Apple page was simply saying that the marketplace should embrace many antivirus approaches, since that presents bigger hurdles to the bad guys who write malware. Tellingly, the page also provided pointers to antivirus products available for purchase from the Apple Store.

This whole kerfuffle is the result of a purposeful misreading of Apple's commentary by Apple deriders, of which there are more than a few.

As to which OS is more secure than another, I'll go for a UNIX-based system like Apple's over a glorified single-user system like Windows any day. But any OS is only as secure as the wetware sitting at the keyboard. Because people do stupid things (like open dicey email attachments and grant authority to unknown processes), anti-malware utilities are a good idea for any platform.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"The hacker, Chuck Miller, who won the MacBook Air, is an ex-NSA computer security specialist. He and his team of two other ex-NSA computer specialists spent three weeks preparing for that challenge. That is why the Mac was breeched in 24 hours plus 2 minutes into the contest."

Furthermore: as photos of the event documented, Miller uses... a Mac.

[chris_bdba]

As long as the provider didn’t take it off first. Years ago when I first started computering online about 1997 I kept getting this email that said somethng like “Joke Snow White” and I kept opening it trying to find the joke. Well Dh clued me in that what I was looking at was a virus. If I had wanted to be malicious I could’ve probably forwarded that to someone I didn’t much care for. I assume I could because all I did was delete them. I was running OS 7.2 then.