Your Mac is Not Immune to Hacking

My wife and daughter use Macs, so I need to be at least somewhat aware of Mac security. The general consensus is that Mac security is better than Microsoft… but that’s a pretty low bar. How vulnerable are Macs?

I’m tired of hearing from Mac people how secure Mac OS X is.  Apparently, I’m not the only one.  An anonymous blogger has written a blistering, well-documented article about Max OS X security.  The take-away?  Don’t assume that Mac OS X is more secure than Windows.  More hackers target Windows because it is a bigger target.  But Mac OS X has its own vulnerabilities and is not immune to hacking attacks. 

Kaspersky Lab is a leading provider of security software. Kaspersky’s chief technology officer Nikolai Grebennikov has said that “Mac OS is really vulnerable.”  Kaspersky founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky commented on Apple security: “I think they [Apple] are ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security.”  Sure, they have something to gain by scaring people into buying antivirus software. But they are also experts in this field.

So, what can you do to protect yourself from hackers? Many Mac users chose the operating system because they want something that’s easier to use, and they like the idea of single package that contains everything they need for home computing. Naturally, these users balk at installing extra security software. (My daughter especially!) So, for those who just want to keep things simple, here’s a user-friendly guide to computer security for Mac users. For those of you who are feeling ambitious, check out the Mac OS X Security Configuration Guides published by Apple.

5 comments to Your Mac is Not Immune to Hacking

  • adrianne-degraves@gawab.com

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    • Jeff Kayser

      Hi, Adrianne Degraves.

      I’m not having a spam problem. I’m using the current version of WordPress with the following plugins:

      Akismet
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      Good luck with your website.

      Jeff

  • sheree_pye@gmail.com

    Touche. Sound arguments. Keep up the good effort.

  • mozelle_macknight@gmx.de

    I am not sure where you’re getting your information, but good topic.
    I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more.
    Thanks for great information I was looking for this
    information for my mission.

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    in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
    Appreciate it

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