March 6th, 2008
Mac users - Secure or smug?
The accepted wisdom is that Mac users are immune to most of the security afflictions which plague those mere mortals that are still using Windows. But is all this set to change? Is a wave of Mac-homing malware getting ready to flood the Internet?
I ask because of a piece run by Infoworld a few days ago. It seems that security firm Kaspersky Labs has a prototype antivirus software in the works in case hackers suddenly set their sights on Mac users.
San Francisco - Russian security vendor Kaspersky Lab has a prototype version of its virus protection software waiting in the wings in case Apple Mac OS X suddenly becomes a target of choice for hackers.
Kaspersky, based in Moscow, has no plans soon to make it into a product, but one could “be ready in just days,” said Timur Tsoriev, spokesman, at the Cebit technology trade show in Germany on Tuesday.
Ready in just days? All sounds pretty dramatic, doesn’t it? I keep hearing about this tsunami of malware that’s going to hit Mac user (mostly, I’m hearing about this from those working for the PR companies hired by the security firms). But the reality is that the promised flood hasn’t materialized - as far as I can see there’s not even a trickle. I’m not going to say that the idea of malware on a Mac is total FUD, but I do get the feeling that security firms are putting a little fear and uncertainty into the air. After all, it’s good for business.
Loading ...I’ll let you into a little secret - I don’t have any antivirus software installed on my Mac Mini. I don’t feel that I need it. But I also don’t have AV installed on many of my Windows systems either. Given how little malware I actually see, the amount of CPU cycles and megabytes of RAM that I’m devoting to AV seems like overkill.
I’m fast losing faith in desktop security software … I’d rather take my chances with the malware.
Hey, but here’s a thought to ponder - how long until a security firm convinces Apple to ship security software with new Macs?
Thoughts?
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
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