Apple more secure than Windows? Computer says no

[sprintman]

The days of Mac users laughing at Windows users has long gone IMO.

Latest Apple update fixes 25 flaws


Vulnerabilities in AirPort and Kerberos, among others.

Apple has released its fifth security update of the year, covering 25 vulnerabilities in 20 Mac OS X components.

Fifteen of the vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to execute malicious code, but no working exploits have been reported for any of the attacks so far.

Three of the remote code execution vulnerabilities lie within Kerberos, a network security component developed by MIT. Apple credits the MIT Media Lab with reporting all three vulnerabilities.

Other fixes were for the Libinfo component and the LoginWindow software, which contained two flaws allowing users to bypass the authentication screen.

Apple's iChat video chat component received a fix for a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to remotely execute code on a user's system through a malformed video chat request.

The update also addresses a vulnerability in AirPort which could allow remote execution in several legacy systems. None of Apple's latest Mac Pro, iMac or MacBook systems is affected by the flaw.

The vulnerability is also unrelated to the pair of flaws patched earlier this month in the 802.11n AirPort systems.

The update is the second largest Apple has issued this year. The company released a security update last month containing 30 patches in 22 applications.

 

[Mystic]

I have come to the unhappy conclusion that Mac OS X was never really more secure than Windows XP or Windows Vista. The small market share shielded Mac OS X from attacks and also there seems to be less anger directed at Apple compared to Microsoft.

Aside from security holes being discovered in Mac OS X there have been security holes found as well in various Apple software programs.

There are still hardly any viruses and Trojan Horse programs and worms and spyware that can affect Mac OS X. But in todays world what a lot of these cypercriminals want is to control somebody's computer for some reason such as sending SPAM or whatever. These cypercriminals are surely aware of the security holes that have been found in Mac OS X and if they are smart they realize that the Mac market is small but there are still 22 million Mac users out there.

And many Mac owners worry little about security. Many do not even use an antivirus program and some do not even turn on their firewalls. It is a nice little new territory for the cypercriminals. I have used Macs for a long time and I know for a fact that many Mac owners almost brag about not having any antivirus software on their computers.

If the Mac truly does not have any better security than Windows what is the point of owning a Mac over a Windows computer? The Windows computer is more compatible with printers, scanners, etc. There is more software that can be used on the Windows computer.

Now Apple should be able to improve the security of Mac OS X. I don't know what is going on with Apple. They even changed their name from Apple Computer to Apple Inc. What that means I have no idea but maybe iPods and iPhones are more important than computers to them now.

Photoshop CS3 is out now. I have to make some important decisions soon on software and hardware. I will not buy the upgrade to Photoshop CS3 for both the Windows and the Mac computers. At this time I will probably buy the Windows Photoshop CS3 upgrade. I can use Photoshop on Windows Vista just like with the Mac.

 

[moribundman]

Not that I mind verbose musings, or rants, but why do you feel compelled to constantly pour out your heart in regard to how you feel about about your computing preferences? Do you seek confirmation or confrontation? Just make up your mind and go with whatever blows a cool breeze up your skirt, for crying out loud.

 

[Mystic]

Mac OS X is a great operating system. It is based to some extent on FreeBSD and there are ways to greatly improve BSD and increase the security a lot.

If Apple really is going to toss the Mac OS I hope that some corporation like Sun MicroSystems takes over the Mac OS. There is a story that Sun and Apple nearly merged together in the past anyway.

The story is that Apple pulled programmers and engineers away from the Leopard Mac OS 10.5 project to the iPhone project. If that is true than for one thing Apple does not have enough programmers and engineers and needs to hire more. And the other thing is that apparently the iPhone has more priority than Mac OS 10.5. If Apple puts more importance on iPods and iPhones than the Mac OS than in my opinion they need to sell their OS to somebody else.

The Mac OS could become really great in the hands of a corporation like Sun. Think about the possibilities.

You really like the Mac OS, right? How are you going to feel if Apple drops computer development and OS development, or maybe drops computer development and uses the Mac OS only in stuff like the iPhone? How do you think people who use the Windows operating systems would feel if Microsoft suddenly dropped Windows and left them high and dry?

Nobody knows what Apple is going to do in the future. But personally I do not like some of the indicators-do you? How important to Apple is Leopard 10.5 if Apple is willing to delay it by at least 4 months (which they have done so) in order to get the iPhone out? Much of Apple's current income is coming from iPod sales and they will make a lot of money from the iPhone also if it is successful. Will the Mac computer become just a drag on corporate advancement? Do you want to have a lot of software and hardware investment in your Apple Computer or Computers when the roof falls in?

Yes, I probably will buy the upgrade for Photoshop CS3 for my Windows Vista computer. Do you know why? Because that upgrade will cost some $170.00 or so and I will dang sure not buy the upgrades for both the Mac and Windows. I am confident that Microsoft will still be selling computer operating system software 5 years from now. Personally, I AM NOT CONFIDENT that Apple will still be selling computers 5 years from now. Who wants to be left high and dry by a computer that has become ancient history and is no longer supported? Even if that computer keeps right on going eventually with no support it will be impossible to get the latest software and hardware. And if Apple does drop computers you can bet that the software and hardware people are going to soon drop support.

For goodness sake they dropped the word 'Computer' from their corporate name! Are you telling me that you are not even slightly worried?

What would be really ideal would be for a corporation like Sun to take a high security operating system like BSD and put a Macintosh-like GUI on top of it. Or for Microsoft to take a BSD operating system and put maybe a Vista-like GUI on top of it. We need a clean sheet of paper for operating systems.

All of the current operating systems have excess baggage attached to them anyway. We need a total clean sheet of paper. BSD (OpenBSD, FreeBSD, and NetBSD) seems to be the highest security types today. So how hard is it to put a decent GUI on one of them and go from there?

 

[moribundman]

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If Apple puts more importance on iPods and iPhones than the Mac OS than in my opinion they need to sell their OS to somebody else.

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I don't care for the constant upgrading. The longer they need, the better.

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You really like the Mac OS, right?

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I have no feeling towards an OS. If you do, well, I dunno... Let me say I prefer using a Mac over using a PC. I can use a PC but feel more comfortable with a Mac simply because that's what I have been using. I neither love one system, nor do I loathe the other.

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How are you going to feel if Apple drops computer development and OS development, or maybe drops computer development and uses the Mac OS only in stuff like the iPhone?

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I guess I'll be buying an iPhone then.

Seriously, I don't see it happening and if it really does happen, please ask me again.

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Nobody knows what Apple is going to do in the future.

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And Microsoft is the epitome of stability, reliability, security, and low, low prices? Come on, any one of us could stroke out after dinner tonight. There are things other than computers about which to worry incessantly.

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Do you want to have a lot of software and hardware investment in your Apple Computer or Computers when the roof falls in?

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I don't see why my computer would become immediately obsolete. I'd keep going on for years. In the end I don't even "need" a computer.

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For goodness sake they dropped the word 'Computer' from their corporate name! Are you telling me that you are not even slightly worried?

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I'm more worried about Bill Gates naming his company Microsoft instead of Macrohard.

 

[Mystic]

I did not start this post. The post was started by sprintman. I am interested in computers and I have used various Windows, Mac, Unix and even Linux operating systems in my lifetime. At work we use Windows and Unix with a special user interface on top of the Unix which is becoming more Windows like with each passing year.

I personally switched to the Mac in 1996 and because of various problems with Windows operating systems I have used the Mac for a long time. I like Macs but I am not in love with Apple and I am not in love with the computers built by Apple. If Apple falls behind or I thing Apple is going out of business or ready to stop making computers I am not going to stand on the bridge of the sinking ship and salute. I will move on to Windows or Linux or whatever new computer operating system that comes along. I nearly left Apple and its computers several years ago when Apple very nearly did go out of business.

Computers are a big part of my life. Every day at work I use computers. I use computers at home for the internet, email, working on photographs, etc. So it is natural for me to like to discuss computers.

I thought that Windows Vista was going to be a flop. I said so in posts at this website. But Vista does not seem to be a flop and I actually like the way it looks.

I have already experienced once Apple nearly going under and I have an investment in Apple computer technology. So it is natural for me to be concerned if it seems like something appears to me to be going on when it comes to Apple.

We discuss all kinds of things in posts at this website. Is it wrong for me to bring up stuff to discuss about computers? A lot of people like to describe Microsoft as the 'Dark Empire' and Apple and Linux as being sort of the free Universe. Sort of like in Star Wars. So why is it that discussions about Microsoft can be free ranging and open and certain discussions about Apple or Linux are prohibited? Is it prohibited for us to discuss why Apple may have changed its name from Apple Computer to Apple Inc.? Is it prohibited to discuss the huge increase in potential security holes being found recently in Mac OS X and various Apple applications?

I have had various interactions with Microsoft in recent times and danged if the 'Dark Empire' seems open and approachable. For sure Microsoft has done some things in the past that caused people to dislike Microsoft but I have had pleasant, informative, friendly encounters with Microsoft. If this continues I am going to join the 'Dark Empire.' Maybe the Free Universe is not as open and wonderful as I thought it was. People disparage Microsoft all day long but if anybody says anything negative about Apple or Linux they are in trouble.

 

[moribundman]

By all means, keep ranting away (but without my participation).