Is the Mac OS Really More Secure?
When Microsoft released Vista, one of the big selling points was improved security, and Microsoft still advertises it as the “most secure windows ever.” But what about Mac OS X? Apple claims “Every Mac is secure ... thanks to the proven foundation of Mac OS X.” So, are Macs really more secure?
There is debate on this issue, but it does appear, based on history, Mac OS is more secure than Windows. However, Vista did make great improvements in the security of Windows, but still all of the security problems seem to only be on Windows.
The difference is there are just not as many Mac users. An attack on Mac OS would not be as effective as an attack on Windows. There are also better tools and better opportunities for Windows attacks because of the great amount of software published for that operating system.
If the number of Mac users were to greatly increase, the threat of a virus or spyware attack is quite high. Since most Mac users are quite lax about security, this attack would have the potential to do great harm. Mac users don't need to start worrying yet, but care should be taken on both Mac and Windows not to download suspicious files or have a constant internet connection without at least the firewall protection built-in to most routers.
For now, the is no arguing the Mac user doesn't have to spend much time worrying about security, but the day may be coming when he or she will.