June 11, 2009, 12:49 AM — I wrote last month about Security Risks on Your Macintosh. I'm going to reference another report that explains how Apple's approach to security leaves quite a bit to be desired. Before that, however, I want to say this isn't potshots at Apple or Microsoft or anyone. Well, maybe we should take shots at the criminals creating malware and stealing information. But until computers and their users are 100 percent secure, there will be ways for criminals to make money. That's why security will always be a headache.
That said, let me direct your attention to Rich Mogull's Five Ways Apple Can Improve Mac and iPhone Security. This is an excellent article outlining some structural weaknesses in the way Apple, as a development company, approaches security. According to Mogull, and he outlines his arguments clearly, Apple management does not foster a modern attitude toward secure programming and management.
Why should we care, especially if criminals are attacking us in a variety of ways Apple and other vendors can't possibly protect us? Because every weak link in an application or operating system makes cyber crime more lucrative and draws more cyber criminals.
The moral of this story is that no one, not even the Mac user most strongly convinced that Apple has done everything possible to protect him and no criminals care about his Mac, can ignore security. If you go on the Web, you have to worry about security. Period.
You know those bad parts of town, where smart people never go? Those parts of town are everywhere on the Web. Any where you go, the bad part of Web town is one URL typo away, one e-mail attachment away, and one weak password away. The Web is wondrous and captivating, but it's also crime riddled. Watch your step. Be careful out there, no matter what type of computer and operating system you're driving.
