Apple + Security & Privacy

With the release of Mac OS X 10.6, Snow Leopard, tomorrow, security experts are musing about how much this new version of Apple’s operating system will improve overall security. Security researchers who focus on the Mac – such as Dino Dai Zovi and Charlie Miller – tend to do so because they are fans of the Mac Dai Zovi said, “I’m an avid Mac user. So I have a vested interest in them being more secure.” But they are not blind to the problems that exist in Mac OS X. Miller said, “Apple hasn’t implemented all the security features that Vista has. “They made some improvements in Leopard, but they are still behind.”

Security is a big issue in Snow Leopard, with Apple adding an anti-malware feature as well as touting the security improvements made in the OS. Regarding the former, Miller said, “It will mark a fundamental change in that Apple will be admitting that their operating system is as susceptible to malware as other operating systems.”

It’s worth reading this CNet article, which outlines some of the issues surrounding security on Mac OS X, and highlights some of the improvements in Snow Leopard. But we need to bear in mind that security involves more than just the operating system. As author Elinor Mills says in the article, “In addition to considering how buggy the software is, how secure the operating system code is, and whether malware writers are creating viruses and Trojans for the platform, another factor in play is how likely Mac users are to be duped into visiting a malicious site, opening a malicious e-mail attachment, and downloading a fake file.”