AndreMA said:
My personal belief is that OS X is inherently a more secure OS -- but it's just that: a personal belief.
I agreed, but I'm also justifiably afraid if you look at the exploits possibly if Apache wasn't patched. Sure it's not usually something your average mac consumers would implement fully but OSX makes it just easy enough that someone COULD poteintially turn on by mistake. Possible, but not probable IMHO.
I believe that we are more secure on most ends right off the box, but with un-expertly tweaking the system or even just by moving some crucial folders a mac running OS X can be made as vulnerable as the Windows machines. There simply hasn't been a major hacking attempt... yet.
I don't know what would've happened if there was a major attack against OS X. What I do know is that even if we comphensate the market share with all of the Mac virii (old AND new), it would still only be a small percentage of what Windows' monthly new virii counts. That's good news!
That said, controlled hardware and OS is a mixed blessing, limiting the Mac's poteintial to blow up (pun intended) like our Microsoft counterparts but afford us a little it more security and reliability. I can live with that.
Remember, if the hardware and OS were not so critically controlled in by Apple, the modern computing margin between the two platforms are essentially very small (and closing thanks to OS X). What makes a Mac a Mac is no longer either hardware or software. Macs remain different essentially thanks to their different design and usability philosophy, nothing but.
I'm not saying that Windows is better or that Mac is less secure, but the predominant non-productivity user-base of PC is gamers, who are by definition "people with time on their hands". Mac users are almost purely using their Macs for productivity reasons. Gaming exploded the PC marketshare. And since a high end gaming rig is as expensive (if not a LOT more) than your high-end Dual G5s, it really is not a monetary concern. So it depend on which side you want to take each has advantages.
I just hope we never have a chance to prove ourselves to an attack.
My logic is based on a perceived pattern I pulled out of my arse:
1. Gamers = curious and creative people.
2. Most HCR gamers has too much time on their hands (barring developpers).
3. Most gamers are PC users.
4. HRC gamers wants to "0Wn j00"
5. Hacking = takes a lot of time, and can be equated to "real-life gaming".
6. Hacking requires a lot of creativity (real hacking not "script kiddies").
7. Most exploits are found on a PC based system.
8. Hackers wants to own your system (take over)
Conclusion: Games induce hacking, ergo "Gamer = Hackers".
Now I know it's a flawed hypothesis, it's not eaven reciprocically true (important to verify your theory, but I ignore it here) but the patterns are hard to ignore (let alone quite funny lol). And since Mac = little games, there are less Mac specific gamers (most Mac gamers game on a PC box). Less Mac gamers = less Mac hacks.
Jokes aside, I'm just glad my PB is a little safer. Now if someone can prevent coffee to damage my keyboards...
