With exploit code for an OS X vulnerability released recently and a compromised Australian university Mac server caught hosting malware in August, it may be time Apple admitted its platform is no more secure than any other. While Apple users laud their systems as unbreakable pillars of security in a dangerous world, unsusceptible to the malware attacks that make life on Windows so hazardous, the headlines keep coming.

In August, the University of New South Wales was, no doubt, surprised to learn one of its Mac servers had been hijacked by baddies to host some malware disguised as a Microsoft patch. University system administrators interviewed by ZDNet Australia were puzzled -- the server was evidently running the latest version of OS X server. It turned out the miscreants gained entry through a vulnerability in the server's TikiWiki code, a third party package that has nothing to do with Apple. Still, OS X didn't somehow, magically, prevent the attack as some users seem to think it's capable of doing.

Yes, it's true the average Mac user doesn't have to contend with the malware that plagues Windows-based computers. But Apple's marketing these days seems to suggest its computers are immune to attack (The advert is also available on YouTube).

They're not, and it's dishonest for Apple to suggest otherwise.

Source: ZDNet Au

If their advertising is really effective and they wind up with as big a market share as Windows (never gonna happen, but if it did), they'd have just as much of a malware problem as Windows.

Does anyone know of any good utility type software for a Mac, such as Malware scanners and cleaners and such?

I disagree Tarun. Mac's definitely ARE safer than Windows. One or 2 exploits are not even comparable to the magnitude of exploits that Windows gets hit with. Now...if Mac's were as big as Windows then yes...they would get hit just as hard, but that isn't the case. Mac's are safer, and so is Linux for that matter.

@ CaPMan...Mac's website has a list of applications so free, and some shareware.

They only seem safer than Windows because Macs have 3% or less of the market share. Windows has 97% of the market share. That means only 3% of people or less actually use Macs. Out of those 3%, it will of course be an even smaller percent who write malicious programs.

In another world, if Macs were the dominant computer over Windows, it would be the other way around. Macs would have tons of viruses, spyware, adware and more; Windows would actually appear to be the safe, secure OS.

It all boils down to how much of the world's population using what software.

They only seem safer than Windows because Macs have 3% or less of the market share.  Windows has 97% of the market share.  That means only 3% of people or less actually use Macs.  Out of those 3%, it will of course be an even smaller percent who write malicious programs.

In another world, if Macs were the dominant computer over Windows, it would be the other way around.  Macs would have tons of viruses, spyware, adware and more; Windows would actually appear to be the safe, secure OS.

It all boils down to how much of the world's population using what software.

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Like I said: "Now...if Mac's were as big as Windows then yes...they would get hit just as hard, but that isn't the case."

>.> I really need to wake up more. And I'm about to leave for work! :P

@ CaPMan...Mac's website has a list of applications so free, and some shareware.

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Thanks.

I should of thought to look there really.

>.>  I really need to wake up more.  And I'm about to leave for work!

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hehe, my brain wasn't working yet either. :P

I don't have to contend with Spyware either... Firefox + Safe browsing habbits, common sense (no, you aren't really the 100,000th member). You'll do fine :P