OS X Malware: Real threat or Windows marketing ploy..

[binaryskies]

I get asked if macs need an antivirus program almost every other day at work. Its a question I answer with "no, however there are programs out there which are great safety nets." I am posting this because I've been reading about Kaspersky stating Apple is 10 years behind Microsoft and has a lot to do. Do you think this is an attempt to slow mac sales or do you see this as an actual threat and are worried.. btw, I have yet to work o an infected mac in 2 months. Opinions??

 

[Ivan P]

I'm curious as to why the thread title references a "Windows marketing ploy", but in the post you make reference only to Kaspersky. I'm confused as to whether you're suggesting Kaspersky is trying to promote an OS they have nothing to do with, or if you had an alternate theory regarding Microsoft that never made it into your post?

 

[maflynn]

because I've been reading about Kaspersky stating Apple is 10 years behind Microsoft and has a lot to do.

You mean the same company that makes money by selling anti-virus products is stating how poor apple is at security. Seems like a self serving type thing to state don't you? Keep harping on how bad it is, so you can sell more of your product - regardless if its not true

 

[roadbloc]

I think the recent Flashback trojan has shown that OS X malware is becoming more and more of a threat to Apple.

 

[nissan.gtp]

I think the recent Flashback trojan has shown that OS X malware is becoming more and more of a threat to Apple.

Agreed. The great "no worry days" are ending. I'm very concerned that Kaspersky is more right than wrong about Apple; by comparison, in the last 10 years Microsoft has made great strides in better software (in terms of security). Security is something that has to be engineered into software from the very start, and is has to carry forward to all aspects of software implementation and delivery. The ability of the software and system engineers to rapidly respond to threats is critical. And it requires good management as well as coordination with marketing (who at Apple may be reluctant to release security patches since OSX is "already secure").

At the very least, we all need to stay really aware of what is going on.

 

[*LTD*]

The threat level is the same as it was 5 years ago. Next to nothing.

OS X was released in 2001. All we have today are a handful of trojans.

That vast tsunami of malware that was promised by Windows-sufferers, FUD-spinners and the perennially envious never materialized. Every couple of years there's a trojan. Works for me. And works for the vast majority of OS X users. And soon, with the advances Apple is making with iOS, it won't matter.

 

[smoledman]

The threat level is the same as it was 5 years ago. Next to nothing.

OS X was released in 2001. All we have today are a handful of trojans.

That vast tsunami of malware that was promised by Windows-sufferers, FUD-spinners and the perennially envious never materialized. Every couple of years there's a trojan. Works for me. And works for the vast majority of OS X users. And soon, with the advances Apple is making with iOS, it won't matter.

Yes keep people in the dark as to the growing threat of malware on OS X. Also with the growing advances on Windows 8 - it won't matter either.

 

[chrono1081]

I don't think people realize that trojans on Mac OS are nothing new, there is a list you can find (I forget how) that shows the ones Apple knows about and keeps updated. That list is very small too but its a file on your computer and it updates anytime you connect online.

Its just trendy nowadays to write about it in the news to try and shock people.

I personally am not worried and won't be getting anti-malware on my Mac.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Yes keep people in the dark as to the growing threat of malware on OS X.

Mac OS 7, 8 and 9 had several actual viruses affecting them, Mac OS X has had none in the last decade in public circulation.
Trojans get more clever of course, to lure the unsuspecting computer users into a trap, especially the ones, that don't practice safe computer usage, and that is probably a lot of people.
For those people, AV software is wonderful, as the brain can be shut off one step further to enjoy KFC and FB even more.

The Mac OS X Malware Myth Continues

 

[*LTD*]

Yes keep people in the dark as to the growing threat of malware on OS X.

We've been hearing about "the growing threat of malware on OS X" for 6 or 7 years now. And we *still* barely have anything to show for it.

Apple may sell plenty of Macs per quarter, but it's nowhere near the amount churned out by Microsoft OEMs. Moreover, Apple prices themselves out of the broadest retail segment. Save for the Mini, the entrance fee into the Apple ecosystem via computers will set you back at least $1000. Of course, an iPad could be had for a lot less, it's selling a lot faster, and malware on it is a non-issue.

Macs as you see them today will never reach past 25% market share - if even that. Which is just fine by a lot of folks, because on the Consumer Satisfaction side, no competitor can even touch Macs. And Apple is the most profitable "PC" maker in the entire industry, and Macs *still* outpace the rest of the industry in growth.

So "the growing malware threat on OS X" might be "growing" . . . but at a snail's pace. And by the time there *will* be cause for worry, the Mac might look very, very different, and if the iOS model is anything to go by, malware will become a non-issue.

So the Great Malware Threat on OS X has always been a) overblown by envious FUDsters and Windows sufferers, and b) contained by Mac marketshare (for those still wedded to the "security via obscurity" theory.)

 

[MacNut]

Is OS-X any safer than Windows or is it that the majority of Windows users don't know how to lock down their system. I guarantee just as many oblivious Mac users click things they are not supposed too. Sure the OS is set better to keep bad things out but that isn't to say it can't be exploited. I do think there is a false sense of security on the mac, we just have never been targeted like Windows has. At least not yet.

 

[Dr McKay]

and Windows sufferers

You keep using that term again, implying that everyone who uses Windows is using it only because it's cheap. Heck you don't even have to imply it, you've said it clear as day many times on this forum. But hey, at least you've stopped spelling Windows with a $ on the end, or "Windoze".

You're growing up, albeit at a snails pace that you mentioned earlier. Keep it up, good show old bean.

 

[smoledman]

You keep using that term again, implying that everyone who uses Windows is using it only because it's cheap. Heck you don't even have to imply it, you've said it clear as day many times on this forum. But hey, at least you've stopped spelling Windows with a $ on the end, or "Windoze".

You're growing up, albeit at a snails pace that you mentioned earlier. Keep it up, good show old bean.

I'm glad I haven't had to "suffer" under Objective-C the last 10 years. C#, .Net is such a breeze so I can focus on application logic rather then this:

@interface classname : superclassname {
    // instance variables
}
+ classMethod1;
+ (return_type)classMethod2;
+ (return_type)classMethod3:(param1_type)param1_varName;
 
- (return_type)instanceMethod1:(param1_type)param1_varName :
(param2_type)param2_varName;
- (return_type)instanceMethod2WithParameter :
(param1_type)param1_varName andOtherParameter:(param2_type)param2_varName;
@end

I think this is better:

public interface ISomething
{
	void DoSomething1();
	void DoSomething2(int param);
}

public class Something : ISomething
{
	public void DoSomething1()
	{
		Console.WriteLine("Doing something 001");
	}
	
	public void DoSomething2(int param)
	{
		Console.WriteLine("Doing something 002" + param2);
	}
}

Now tell me which one is more readable?

 

[*LTD*]

I'm glad I haven't had to "suffer" under Objective-C the last 10 years. C#, .Net is such a breeze so I can focus on application logic rather then this:

@interface classname : superclassname {
    // instance variables
}
+ classMethod1;
+ (return_type)classMethod2;
+ (return_type)classMethod3:(param1_type)param1_varName;
 
- (return_type)instanceMethod1:(param1_type)param1_varName :
(param2_type)param2_varName;
- (return_type)instanceMethod2WithParameter :
(param1_type)param1_varName andOtherParameter:(param2_type)param2_varName;
@end

I think this is better:

public interface ISomething
{
	void DoSomething1();
	void DoSomething2(int param);
}

public class Something : ISomething
{
	public void DoSomething1()
	{
		Console.WriteLine("Doing something 001");
	}
	
	public void DoSomething2(int param)
	{
		Console.WriteLine("Doing something 002" + param2);
	}
}

Now tell me which one is more readable?

Whichever one is used to develop the best mobile apps on the planet and which make on average the most money. Hint: the vast majority of them are for iOS.

 

[belvdr]

Whichever one is used to develop the best mobile apps on the planet and which make on average the most money. Hint: the vast majority of them are for iOS.

Someone asks what is the date and you said "red". Good call.

What does "best mobile apps" have to do with iOS?

 

[maflynn]

I think the recent Flashback trojan has shown that OS X malware is becoming more and more of a threat to Apple.

While the architecture of OSX gives it better protection against malware, its simply not immune to such attacks. OSX can and does have malware and when writers of such programs find it beneficial to spend time developing malware for OSX over windows they will do so. As it stands, this seems to be the case as OSX is getting to be a more attractive target.

 

[Dr McKay]

Now tell me which one is more readable?

Why not focus on WinRT instead? And I'm sure you represent the majority of Windows users. I suppose I could get one example from a disgruntled Editor trying to edit a movie and burn to Blu-Ray inside OS X, and this proves that people using Mac OS X are "Suffering"?

 

[Stella]

<snip>
Now tell me which one is more readable?

Not only the readable, but productive to develop in. I find ObjectiveC horribly verbose and slower than other similar languages. Still I enjoy ObjectiveC. Could ObjectiveC be better - of course. While Xcode is improving, its still lags behind other IDEs.

As for malware on OSX.. ignore at your own risk. Malware exists that doesn't need user authentication. Be aware of whats going on, just don't stick your head in the sand imagining that OSX is invulnerable. OSX ( together with the software you are running ) has a lot of security holes.. just waiting to be discovered and taken advantage of.

 

[smoledman]

Why not focus on WinRT instead? And I'm sure you represent the majority of Windows users. I suppose I could get one example from a disgruntled Editor trying to edit a movie and burn to Blu-Ray inside OS X, and this proves that people using Mac OS X are "Suffering"?

I hope to get into WinRT in a few months. Though I expect not much difference from what I'm currently doing with WPF and .NET in general. It's still going to be Visual Studio and C#, Python.

 

[roadbloc]

Whichever one is used to develop the best mobile apps on the planet and which make on average the most money. Hint: the vast majority of them are for iOS.

Does that include the many fart, flashlight and essentially useless apps that are on the App Store?

 

[Zombie Acorn]

Does that include the many fart, flashlight and essentially useless apps that are on the App Store?

To be fair those are on the Android store too, but I would much rather program in Java than Obj C, even though I don't particularly like java.

 

[roadbloc]

To be fair those are on the Android store too, but I would much rather program in Java than Obj C, even though I don't particularly like java.

You get my point though don't you? The app developer is totally independent to the OS.

 

[G51989]

Windows sufferers,

Are you implying people only use windows because its cheaper? ANd a PC is cheaper?

Well let me tell you what, my current Gaming rig cost me a solid 7200 dollars, and it'll destroy 90% of Mac Pros out there ( I have a Mac Pro and 3 G5s btw ).

I love my Apples, but Windows 7 isn't a Junk OS, and neither is mainstream PC hardware.

 

[smoledman]

Are you implying people only use windows because its cheaper? ANd a PC is cheaper?

Well let me tell you what, my current Gaming rig cost me a solid 7200 dollars, and it'll destroy 90% of Mac Pros out there ( I have a Mac Pro and 3 G5s btw ).

I love my Apples, but Windows 7 isn't a Junk OS, and neither is mainstream PC hardware.

Windows 7 has deficiencies:

#1 - no application sandboxing
#2 - no system-wide dictionary
#3 - system restore is quite unreliable from my experience

All of which Windows 8 will remedy.

 

[*LTD*]

Are you implying people only use windows because its cheaper? ANd a PC is cheaper?

Well let me tell you what, my current Gaming rig cost me a solid 7200 dollars, and it'll destroy 90% of Mac Pros out there ( I have a Mac Pro and 3 G5s btw ).

I love my Apples, but Windows 7 isn't a Junk OS, and neither is mainstream PC hardware.

Most people don't build what you built.

A PC can be had for anywhere from a couple of hundred to . . . over $7000.

The entry fee for a Mac, though (not counting the Mini, which is Apple's *only* current offering below $1000) is $1000.

The entry fee to Windows is a couple hundred.

Draw your own conclusions.