Vista pretty good after all?

[sprintman]

Apple releases 'huge' Mac OS X update
Tom Espiner, ZDNet UK

30 May 2008 08:19 AM

Tags: fix, mac, os x, patch, tiger, update, leopard, apple

in brief Apple has released an update to Mac OS X patching over 40 security holes.

Security Update 2008-003/Mac OS X 10.5.3, released on Wednesday, plugs flaws that render OS X Leopard users vulnerable to systems compromises including denial-of-service attacks, information disclosure and remote code execution.

Included in the update is a patch for multiple vulnerabilities in the Adobe Flash Player plug-in. Currently at least 20,000 websites have been infected with code that exploits the flaws, which occur when Flash Player processes a malicious Shockwave Flash (SWF) file. Normally, SWF files contain animations or interactive applications.

Security research and training organisation the Sans Institute commented in a blog post that the Apple update was "huge", and wished everybody "happy patching".

 

[Audi Junkie]

I've had zero problems after 8 months.

 

[Pablo]

Those Apple commercials are really stale. And they are lies as well? Who knew?

 

[Mystic]

That is not the only huge update for Mac OS 10.5 'Leopard.' The previous one was big also, and the first one apparently addressed, among other things, flaws in the firewall.

Do the vulnerabilities in the Adobe Flash Player affect not only Apple but also Windows computers that use Adode Flash Player? And of course that player comes from Adobe.

I went ahead and updated to Leopard and I have not have serious problems, although I was scared for a while I was going to have a BSOD when the screen stayed blue for a long time. I kind of think Leopard was released before its time. But when I brought up potential issues with Leopard at this website various people attacked me.

I like both Windows and Mac OS X. I have not had any problems with Vista and I think the never ending attacks on Vista are overblown.

I think the security holes are there in Mac OS X for the bad guys to exploit if they want to. But apparently Apple is too small of a target and maybe it is somewhat harder to attack Mac OS X compared to Windows. On the other hand, a Mac was the first computer successfully attacked recently where there was a reward for successfully being able to exploit a computer. The Vista computer was attacked much later and the Linux computer not at all. And it was third party programs (I think Flash Player as a matter of fact) that made the Mac exploit possible.

My best guess is that for the bad guys Apple is not worthwhile as a target. They want to take over huge numbers of computers.

 

[ZZman]

It was bound to happen. Mac was not nearly as popular as Windows so why waste time hacking Mac's when you get more bang for the buck by hacking Windows computers. Mac's are becoming a little more popular now. As software becomes more popular it becomes more prone to hackers.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

"Vista good after all" has nothing to do with OS X.

For one, I'm glad Apple is patching the OS. I've seen too many 10.5.x problems. 10.4 was rock solid, 10.5 was a pull-yer-hair-out exercise in self-control.

Besides, all software is becoming larger, not smaller. The days of OS updates that are 35MB (remember NT service packs?) are long over.

 

[Virtuoso]

Vista good has a lot to do with OS X... how can it be good without anything to compare it to?

Apple loves to knock Windows in it's commercials...

 

[simple_gifts]

Quote:

Vista good has a lot to do with OS X... how can it be good without anything to compare it to?


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/29/ubuntu_left_standing/

Quote:

A laptop running a fully patched version of Microsoft's Vista operating system was the second and final machine to fall in a hacking contest that pitted the security of Windows, OS X and Ubuntu Linux. With both a Windows and Mac machine felled, only the Linux box remained standing following the three-day competition.


But as mentioned ad nauseum on this site, Linux isn't really that good of a desktop OS; it is only good for servers. It is not important to run on a secure OS on a desktop, because important and personal information is seldom stored there

 

[Mystic]

How do we evaluate motor oils at this website? Do we do it on an emotional basis? Or do we rely on VOAs and used oil analysis so that we can really determine what the best motor oil is?

I think we need to logically evaluate the good and bad points of all O/Ss in order to determine which one is the best. And frankly, for security reasons, it is probably better to have several different O/Ss so that the bad guys can not target one particular type.

I think we need to lose the Mac Fan Boy Club stuff and the Cult of Linux Club stuff, and if there is a Microsoft fan club we need to lose it too. Instead of attacking someone who points out a bad aspect of our personal beloved O/S, we need to look at the good and bad aspects of all O/Ss. OVERKILL really impressed me with his discussion of the good and bad points of Linux O/Ss. Check out his posts. I praised him. Just like I would praise somebody who liked a brand of motor oil I don't particularly like myself but the guy offered a really good logical discussion of the good and bad points of that brand.

We should talk about this O/Ss like we talk about brands of motor oil. We should find out which only is really the best. The only way to do that is with logical and honest discussion. People can bring up their experiences and discuss any testing of an O/S they found out about.

Personally I like BOTH Windows Vista and Mac OS X. And if Linux could do all that I wanted I would like Linux also. Heck, Linux is good as a server-we are using a Linux server right now!

 

[Mystic]

Just to prove that I am trying to be fair, look at my first reply to this post. I pointed out that the major security hole was apparently Adobe Flash Player, which may well be a security problem on Windows computers as well. And I pointed out that the Apple Computer that was exploited in the testing was apparently attacked through Flash Player-a third party application.