Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
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Re: Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
#2From the article:
"With the Trojan installed on a Mac"
Well, sure, but of course installing a trojan on a non-jailbroken iPad is pretty much impossible. And with the introduction of the Mac App Store it's going to be increasingly harder to convince Mac users to install non-App Store apps too.
Re: Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
#3"Security experts know, of course, that there’s nothing magical about Macs when it comes to security."
I suppose a conceptually simpler security model isn't "magical" but in my experience it usually does improve the security of a system.
Re: Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
#4Reminds me of some similar predictions:
"This is almost certainly the year of the OS X exploit" (Feb 2006) http://www.securityfocus.com/news/113758
iPhone to be target of hackers (December 2007) http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/121107-report-iphone-t...
Apple has a few extremely good security engineers (two of which were stolen from FreeBSD and whom I know personally). I've never believed OS X is bullet-proof, but it sure beats anything else I'd recommend to my 60+ year old mom. She's had more security problems with her garage than with her computer.
Re: Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
#5I call BS on the headline. I don't understand how this applies to the iPad.
Re: Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
#6Reminds me of some similar predictions: "This is almost certainly the year of the OS X exploit" (Feb 2006) http://www.securityfocus.com/news/113758 iPhone to be target of hackers (December 2007) http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/121107-report-iphone-t... Apple has a few extremely good security engineers (two of which were stolen from FreeBSD and whom I know personally). I've never believed OS X is bullet-proof, b…
Same here. I recommend the iPad to older folks regularly. You are correct that there is no magic that prevents iOS from being compromised ... but their security model has been working well so far.
I taught a computer class to seniors in a community center a while ago ... I was horrified at the number of toolbars and browser plugins these people had managed to gather on their "mainstream" browsers/operating systems. My advice to them ... don't do online banking online!
Re: Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
#7TLDR version > Soon, even lynx users will no longer be safe! Feel the fear and buy our sponsored antivirus software!
I am somewhat doubtful regarding a mac-bashing article in the "microsoft report" folder. But maybe that's just me...
Re: Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
#8Reminds me of some similar predictions: "This is almost certainly the year of the OS X exploit" (Feb 2006) http://www.securityfocus.com/news/113758 iPhone to be target of hackers (December 2007) http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/121107-report-iphone-t... Apple has a few extremely good security engineers (two of which were stolen from FreeBSD and whom I know personally). I've never believed OS X is bullet-proof, b…
Same here. I recommend the iPad to older folks regularly. You are correct that there is no magic that prevents iOS from being compromised ... but their security model has been working well so far. I taught a computer class to seniors in a community center a while ago ... I was horrified at the number of toolbars and browser plugins these people had managed to gather on their "mainstream" browsers/operating systems. M…
"their security model has been working well so far" -- that is to say, the Mac security model, which has hardly been tested at all (relative to say, Windows), has been working well -- which isn't saying much.
Re: Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
#9I call BS on the headline. I don't understand how this applies to the iPad.
The browser.
Re: Mac/iPad security perceptions will soon vanish
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Same here. I recommend the iPad to older folks regularly. You are correct that there is no magic that prevents iOS from being compromised ... but their security model has been working well so far. I taught a computer class to seniors in a community center a while ago ... I was horrified at the number of toolbars and browser plugins these people had managed to gather on their "mainstream" browsers/operating systems. M…
"their security model has been working well so far" -- that is to say, the Mac security model, which has hardly been tested at all (relative to say, Windows), has been working well -- which isn't saying much.
That may be, but it's been a blissful 10+ years. :)
Ribbing aside, the OS X security model is, generally speaking, the Unix security model, which has been around a lot longer than Windows. Henry Spencer is attributed with saying "Those who do not understand UNIX are condemned to reinvent it -- badly." Perhaps OS X has done it badly, but perhaps not as badly as others.
I agree that lack of security problems is not indicative of good security, but Apple does seem to be making good decisions. As I said earlier, they've got some super smart security people working for them and letting them drive the security model.