Apple Hires Former Security Director of One Laptop Per Child

[Mac Maven]

The arguments claiming we have enjoyed security through a lack of market share have not held up. I was more sympathetic to that view when we had a young OS X platform, but eight years in and after substantial market share growth we still have yet to see a single serious malware threat emerge. We've seen various vulnerabilities exposed but very few real exploits, none of which have been really threatening. Anyone who continues to make those simplistic arguments has failed to recognize the reality of the situation, which has demonstrated that OS X's reputation of strong security is based on more than being a minority platform. Of course, Apple should always be looking to improve security while not making it too obtrusive or taking away too much of the user's right to exercise control over the system. More finely granulated control over software permissions would be a good thing if properly implemented.

 

[peepboon]

:S what would he do at the company? lol

 

[MikeTheC]

On island, no one around safe, but not secure

In a bank vault, nuclear bomb goes off, secure but not safe

In a lead lined fridge, safe and secure

I'm not really sure how you figure on that. In the Hiroshima nuclear blast, as far as anyone in proximity was concerned, the only folks I'm aware of who survived were working in a bank vault. Everyone else who "survived" was basically just far enough away to have a chance.

As far as a lead-lined fridge, what, are you thinking about this latest RotLA movie? I'm quite sure if someone had ever actually been in Indy's position, they would have gotten dead real quick, lead-lined or no.

 

[Dustman]

Imagine wearing a t-shirt at your local church meeting, or wearing a bullet-proof vest in Iraq. With the bullet-proof vest you are more secure; but you are still more likely to die, so the guy in the t-shirt is actually safer.

Very good analogy. Props.

 

[-hh]

All along, the industry opinion has been that it was the larger base of the PC that made it a target, not that the Mac install base was small because it was easy to break. It's been a long time since I have seen the numbers, but if my memory serves me, there was a two-order of magnitude difference between the number of Mac OS viruses and PC viruses.

I did these numbers awhile back ... IIRC, there's nearly two full orders of magnitude difference after one normalizes for market share (eg, 7% vs 92%).


-hh

 

[whooleytoo]

It has EVERYTHING to do with market share. Why would I develop ANYTHING if it only targets a very SMALL population? Be it, viruses or cars.

Because it's actually a large population (just a small percentage), and high-profile. And it's a unsuspecting group who probably don't use any anti-virus/anti-spyware/anti-adware software.

As I said above, I think it has a lot to do with many Mac and Unix developers being fans of those platforms, not merely users, hence are more likely to report a vulnerability than exploit it; in comparison to PC developers who see their PC as a tool and not an evangelical exercise.

 

[celtikmind]

As long as I don't have to answer the question 'Cancel or Allow?' I'll be happy with whatever new security measures Apple decides to implement.

I'm just as equally annoyed but the @£$∞#|© quarantine prompt which sporadically can't seem to remember I already answered, plenty of times. Not that it shuts up either way, anyway. Or iTunes bitching about OSX firewall - 'allow or deny' repeatedly.

I'm all for safe and secure stuff but make it possible to turn it off (through administrator access of course)!

Besides, is any computer hooked up to the internet safe or secure anyway? Really?