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BW: OS X security does good job at protecting users

updated 01:10 pm EST, Thu February 5, 2004

Mac OS X security


BusinessWeek examines : "While it's still very early in the game -- OS X is only three years old -- I submit that Apple has actually done a good job of protecting its unsuspecting user base. The Mydoom virus underscores one key difference between the two systems. OS X comes with a default setting that requires a login name and password before it allows any new software to be installed on a given computer. With this default, no Mac user needs to worry about inadvertently clicking on e-mail attachments carrying virus software."


by MacNN Staff

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  1. MacNN.com Reader

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    Joined: Jul 2001

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    02/05, 01:26pm | report spam | Reply |

    The next step

    for Apple is to open Software Update to other "key" software partners, like Adobe or MS. Using Software Update to automatically update third party apps would be a welcome feature for any OS.

  1. MacNN.com Reader

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    02/05, 01:42pm | report spam | Reply |

    Presuming

    that the executable is saved and executed in non-privileged areas. Save and execute a program in the ~/library directory and that user, while logged in, could be mass emailing a virus to everyone in their address book.

    Granted, the system wouldn't be infected, just the user, but infected non-the-less.

  1. MacNN.com Reader

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    02/05, 02:37pm | report spam | Reply |

    Yeah. watch out

    I'm not so sure about 3rd party SW update. If they have a system where there's a key sharing system that ensures a legitimate SW update, that's OK i guess.

  1. MacNN.com Reader

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    02/05, 03:02pm | report spam | Reply |

    Not Secure

    He writes:
    Not everything in OS X is secure. The relatively short length of the passwords for accessing individual accounts isn't a good thing. And security experts have found a steady stream of bugs in OS X requiring fixes.

    Ummm, in 10.3, the passwords are no longer limited to 8 characters of data. And I really have a hard time calling the security problems "a steady stream". Well, maybe, but then I guess MS's bugs would be in the 'tsunami' class.

  1. MacNN.com Reader

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    02/05, 04:24pm | report spam | Reply |

    re: presuming

    Wow, someone apart from me actually gets it!?

    Open an attachment in an email and you too could be as f*cked as any Windows user. There are also ways to keep that thing going after a restart...

  1. MacNN.com Reader

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    02/05, 07:10pm | report spam | Reply |

    re: presuming

    > Wow, someone apart from me actually gets it!?
    > Open an attachment in an email and you too
    > could be as f*cked as any Windows user.
    > There are also ways to keep that thing going after a restart...

    I was just having a little email correspondence with Alex the past couple of hours and finally managed to convince him of this fact.

    He promised the article will be updated.

  1. MacNN.com Reader

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    02/05, 08:33pm | report spam | Reply |

    RIPE.

    this os is just RIPE to protect 10-15 live users.

  1. MacNN.com Reader

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    Joined: Jul 2001

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    02/06, 02:39am | report spam | Reply |

    Uh, say whaaaa?

    The author is confused. You can copy and run programs without a username and password all day long in OS X. The only software that requires a name and password to install is any software packaged with Apple's Installer kit. This feature will do nothing to prevent even the most trivial of viruses from infecting a machine from an email attachment. The whole article is meaningless, but I like the positive spin it puts on OS X.

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