Recently an article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5150508.stm)
quoted a security vendor as advising users to consider switching to Mac
for better security. Are Macs inherently safer? The real answer is that
there is no scientific data to support a claim that the Mac OS is a
safer OS than Windows, and the truth is that it really is not the issue.
I have a friend, “M”. M does not stand for Mac,
M really is my friend’s initial. M is not what I would call a “great
driver”. I also have another friend, “K”. K really knows how to drive a
car. If you put M in a Mercedes or a Volvo, or some other car known for
being really safe, and put K in a compact car, even an old Ford Pinto
(with the explode-on-impact gas tanks) and want to get somewhere safely,
I have to say you should ride with K. Now, we can take M and move him
to the outskirts of town where there is less traffic. M will be safer
there, but he isn’t a better driver for moving. When the city grows and
the traffic comes to M, does M run (or drive) away in fear and move
again? Does M just quit driving?
Sure, today Macs are less attacked, but
switching from a Mac to a PC doesn’t make you a safer user. If you want
to be secure online you will have to learn to make good choices about
the web sites you visit, the software you install, and the attachments
you open. Phishing attacks are equally effective on Macs. Social
engineering tricks that make people run bad programs work well on Macs.
You can run away to a Mac today and probably be
safer *today*, but if the traffic comes to you then the same risks will
come with the traffic. If you become a safer user then you don’t have
to run from Windows to Mac, to whatever when the traffic heads your way.
Use the operating system *you* like and be a safe user in the
environment of your choice. If you choose Linux or Windows then ESET has
some really cool safety equipment for your operating system, but you
still have to look both ways, steer, and sometimes apply the brakes as
you navigate the internet.
Incidentally, K is what the insurance companies
would tend to rate a high risk driver. K drives fast. One time K got a
speeding ticket and went to “driving school”. K went to the school to
prevent his insurance premiums from being raised. My friend M was the
instructor! Scary, huh?
