“My computer is secure. It’s a Mac.”
Tag Archives: Mac security
Since installing OS X 10.9 Mavericks, I’ve been plagued by problems with security certificates. I couldn’t visit Twitter or LastPass using Safari or Chrome. And I couldn’t log in to Messages or FaceTime. But after a fair bit of research, I found a solution.
After the Flashback malware made a mockery of Mac security, Eugene Kaspersky said of Apple and Mac OS X, “I think they are ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security.”
A big reason for Windows users to consider a move to Mac has been the virtual nonexistence of Mac malware. Computerworld reported the existence of a million different computer viruses at the end of 2008 – but that’s been almost entirely an issue for Windows users.
For a long time, most Mac users have gotten along fine without installing the sort of security programs Windows users take for granted. Perhaps the Mac, built on an industrial-strength Unix core, is more secure. Or perhaps malware authors have simply ignored the Mac platform, aiming instead at the much larger numbers of Windows users.
A few weeks ago, Dwight Silverman reported in The Houston Chronicle that the total count of known malware for Mac OS X had reached 3.
With Intego’s announcement of the new “virus” for Mac OS X on April 8, 2004, for a while it seemed as if there was a bit of a panic through the Mac community. What do you mean there’s a virus for OS X?
2001 – You are not very likely to face direct attacks from hackers because you use a computer, because those people mostly target businesses and large networks. On the other hand, the security of your files is never 100% guaranteed, even though you use a computer that less people know to hack than, say, Windows.
If you are a novice Mac user, reading iBasics is a great idea! All kidding aside, if you are a novice user, file security and computer security is probably a weakness that you should address. In addition, you can take advantage of a few technologies that are embedded in the Mac OS.