Re: [Fed-Talk] Apple's Security Risk Hype draws hackers and malicious coders to the "issue"
Re: [Fed-Talk] Apple's Security Risk Hype draws hackers and malicious coders to the "issue"
- Subject: Re: [Fed-Talk] Apple's Security Risk Hype draws hackers and malicious coders to the "issue"
- From: David Poteet <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 12:46:33 -0500
I don't mean to downplay security concerns, ever, but I doubt that
Apple's success recently is going to draw any more crackers compared
to earlier years. The extent of intense, malicious competition and
and paid subversion among teens and criminals worldwide - and I'm not
kidding when I state it in these terms - is something that most
people don't realize. There is no way Apple escaped attention these
past few years. Anyone who thinks that a favorite target of many
millions of Windows users might not draw scrutiny, as if Apple were
some wallflower at the company party, just doesn't read the blogs and
forums. The tone of juvenile repartee is stunnning. The motivation to
do harm is not that much further away.
Some people point out a relatively "small" market share enjoyed by
Apple and reason from there that it is so miniscule that crackers
just don't care bc the share represents very little money or mayhem
potential. What they don't also point out is that Apple's share of
home and small business computers is much higher than the overall
figures express - I'm sure it's double digit - and many Apple users
are, in general, wealthier and more educated. This would be a very
lucrative niche to exploit, if the crackers could do it. But the
street cred that would redound to a successful cracker of Apple
systems would be worth far more to the really evil minds than any
cash award. Given that so many Mac systems are relatively
unprotected, it should be an easy shot - but it's been that way since
the start of the WWW.
So, the motivation is there, the willing miscreants are there, the
market share is growing, and Apple is still ahead of the curve
security-wise. So, what gives?
Apparently, not the built-in security common to UNIX and the OS X
iterations.
By the way, I don't trust anything or anybody. That's why I use
NetBarrier, Clam antivirus, back up to 2 separate HDs often, check my
pref settings, and - of course - use a Mac.
and that's my .02
On Feb 25, 2006, at 7:20 AM, Max Thibodeaux wrote:
I can't help but think that this is some kind of effort to draw
hackers to the Mac OS. The rationale would be... "Hey look how much
media play these non-exploits are getting. I would receive so much
notoriety if I wrote a real exploit." The news coverage serves to
paint a big red bulls-eye on the Mac OS and the Mac community. "Hey
look at all these dumb suckers who don't install anti-virus and
trust their OS completely."
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