Mac Security - One of the
Great Things
about Apple Mac Computers
Mac Security is legendary. Stable, safe and
secure.
It was easy, and kinda fun, to throw that into the
face of the
diehard PC lemmings. Coming from a PC, I am used to dealing with
malware, spyware, viruses and other plagues associated with the PC
world. So, I never felt secure surfing the web without Mac security
protection. It felt foreign. What if I catch something? Fellow Mac
enthusiasts quickly assured me that "those things only happen to
PC's."
Somewhat consoled, I still had a sinking feeling
that this was not
true. It was just a matter of time before someone tried to exploit the
Mac OS. When iBotNet appeared in April 2009, many people proclaimed it
as the first Mac
virus. Unfortunately, this is not true.
If You Build It, They Will Come
But, why would anyone bother to write a virus that
targets the Mac?
According to a recent Gartner study, only 7.4% of computer users are a
Mac. Not tempting enough to distract prolific virus writers from
creating evil Windoze code. Especially since PCs are so conducive to
viruses. Imagine having to learn how to properly code a virus within
the confines of the Mac interface. Only to ruin the day for a mere 7%
of users.
The author of a Mac virus discovered in November
2006 even
commented on the difficulty. In his code! That's what I will tell my
fellow PC afficionados. You have to be much smarter
to write a Mac virus.
So, How Do I Protect my Mac from Those Eggheads?
For proper Mac security, you really should run a
Mac antivirus program.
In early December 2008, Apple conceded the point. They removed the
article from their knowledgebase which stated that no antivirus was
necessary. Just be careful to choose one that doesn't hog all of your
resources.
The last thing you want is for your Mac to run
like a PC.
While you're at it, you may as well look into anti
spyware for Mac as well. And firewall for Mac. There are bound to be more
quick-wits with way too much time on their hands.
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