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Apple,
allow me to introduce your left hand to the right. It might make it
easier to communicate important facts to customers, such as whether or
not OS X users should run antivirus software. The issue of Mac security
popped up again with the arrival of Mac Defender, a fake antivirus
package that fooled many Apple customers into handing over credit card
details to remove imaginary security issues. Described as a tipping
point in the Mac malware timeline, Mac Defender marks the point at which
Apple needs to grow up, and shows what it needs to learn from
Microsoft: give as much information as possible and protect everything.
Apple appears to be where Microsoft was in 2005 before it started to include Windows Defender with its operating systems, following two years' work on "Trusted Computing". Apple, by contrast, has its head buried in the sand, pretending the malware problem doesn't exist, despite security experts predicting a rising tide as the Mac becomes more popular.
The problem isn't simply that there are now more Macs in circulation, making the platform a juicier target for cyber-criminals. The security scare is compounded by Apple customers themselves. Spoon-fed stories about the safety of the platform, consumers have become blase about the dangers. One security expert we spoke to said that although Apple represents only 10% of the PC market, Mac owners are perhaps ten Limes more likely to "fall for" scams such as Mac Defender, because they haven't had years of attacks to encourage a sense of skepticism - unlike Windows users.
So what is Apple telling customers about how to deal with security? The message seems to be don't bother with it, largely. "Mac OS X doesn't get PC viruses. And its built-in defenses help keep you safe from other malware without the hassle of constant alerts and sweeps," the company shouts in bold at the top of its security page. "Every Mac ships with a secure configuration, just turn your Mac on and start working. When you need to be aware of something, it will let you know."
Except when it doesn't. Apple took three weeks to acknowledge Mac Defender, instructing support workers to wash their hands of the issue. "AppleCare does not provide support for removal of the malware. You should not confirm or deny whether the customer's Mac is infected or not," the company dictated in a leaked internal memo.
The only admission Apple makes of malware threats is a footnote on its security page: "Since no system can be 100% immune from every threat, antivirus software may offer additional protection." It's a bit like saying condoms "may" help prevent the spread of STDs on college campuses.
Looking for more definitive advice, I headed out to the Apple Store in Regent Street, posing as a potential customer. "I have Kaspersky on my Mac," confided the sales assistant - we'll call him C*r*s to spare the helpful expert from a run-in with Apple's secret police.
"It's hard for Macs to get viruses, so criminals are trying to panic you into getting some kind of bad software,"said one of my friend. "To be honest, I've got a firewall and a Kaspersky program, so now I feel that no-one can trick me. You're talking about a pretty expensive machine, so you'd want to protect it."
A support worker on Apple's helpline was less forthcoming, saying only that "we don't recommend installing security software, but you can if you want to for your own peace of mind".
And what about Apple itself? Does the company really trust its own OS so much that it sees no need for corporate-wide antivirus? Some security experts believe it does use security software, but the company wouldn't tell us either way.
So it's mixed messages all around. Until Apple actually puts function before marketing fluff and follows Microsoft's lead with built-in anti-malware protection, the security threat is only going to get worse.
Security experts have told us that it's actually no more difficult to write malware for Macs than it is for Windows machines - it's just that there's a smaller pool of virus-writing talent plying its trade in OS X. That could change with the release in underground cyber-crime forums of a DIY crime-ware kit for Macs that could allow almost anyone to write code to steal passwords and inject code into websites. And with Mac users seen as more affluent than the norm, there is plenty of motivation.
As we wait for Apple to respond to the growing threat, and in the absence of guidance, the best example comes from the sales staff of Apple. If it's important enough for my friend, then it should also be important for customers.
Apple appears to be where Microsoft was in 2005 before it started to include Windows Defender with its operating systems, following two years' work on "Trusted Computing". Apple, by contrast, has its head buried in the sand, pretending the malware problem doesn't exist, despite security experts predicting a rising tide as the Mac becomes more popular.
The problem isn't simply that there are now more Macs in circulation, making the platform a juicier target for cyber-criminals. The security scare is compounded by Apple customers themselves. Spoon-fed stories about the safety of the platform, consumers have become blase about the dangers. One security expert we spoke to said that although Apple represents only 10% of the PC market, Mac owners are perhaps ten Limes more likely to "fall for" scams such as Mac Defender, because they haven't had years of attacks to encourage a sense of skepticism - unlike Windows users.
So what is Apple telling customers about how to deal with security? The message seems to be don't bother with it, largely. "Mac OS X doesn't get PC viruses. And its built-in defenses help keep you safe from other malware without the hassle of constant alerts and sweeps," the company shouts in bold at the top of its security page. "Every Mac ships with a secure configuration, just turn your Mac on and start working. When you need to be aware of something, it will let you know."
Except when it doesn't. Apple took three weeks to acknowledge Mac Defender, instructing support workers to wash their hands of the issue. "AppleCare does not provide support for removal of the malware. You should not confirm or deny whether the customer's Mac is infected or not," the company dictated in a leaked internal memo.
The only admission Apple makes of malware threats is a footnote on its security page: "Since no system can be 100% immune from every threat, antivirus software may offer additional protection." It's a bit like saying condoms "may" help prevent the spread of STDs on college campuses.
Looking for more definitive advice, I headed out to the Apple Store in Regent Street, posing as a potential customer. "I have Kaspersky on my Mac," confided the sales assistant - we'll call him C*r*s to spare the helpful expert from a run-in with Apple's secret police.
"It's hard for Macs to get viruses, so criminals are trying to panic you into getting some kind of bad software,"said one of my friend. "To be honest, I've got a firewall and a Kaspersky program, so now I feel that no-one can trick me. You're talking about a pretty expensive machine, so you'd want to protect it."
A support worker on Apple's helpline was less forthcoming, saying only that "we don't recommend installing security software, but you can if you want to for your own peace of mind".
And what about Apple itself? Does the company really trust its own OS so much that it sees no need for corporate-wide antivirus? Some security experts believe it does use security software, but the company wouldn't tell us either way.
So it's mixed messages all around. Until Apple actually puts function before marketing fluff and follows Microsoft's lead with built-in anti-malware protection, the security threat is only going to get worse.
Security experts have told us that it's actually no more difficult to write malware for Macs than it is for Windows machines - it's just that there's a smaller pool of virus-writing talent plying its trade in OS X. That could change with the release in underground cyber-crime forums of a DIY crime-ware kit for Macs that could allow almost anyone to write code to steal passwords and inject code into websites. And with Mac users seen as more affluent than the norm, there is plenty of motivation.
As we wait for Apple to respond to the growing threat, and in the absence of guidance, the best example comes from the sales staff of Apple. If it's important enough for my friend, then it should also be important for customers.
3 comments:
As simple as that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clam_AntiVirus#Mac_OS_X
Thanks for sharing such a nice free antivirus software of MAC OSX :)
What's the difference between an anti-virus and an anti-spyware program?
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