Ira Winkler posted a pointed and thoughtful article on ComputerWorld:
It's time for the FTC to investigate Mac security
To quote:
...Apple gives people the false impression that they don't have to worry about security if they use a Mac. And perhaps because the company is invested in fostering that impression, Apple is grossly negligent in fixing problems. The proof-of-concept code [mentioned earlier in the article] is proof that Apple has not provided a fix for a vulnerability that was identified six months ago. There is no excuse for that.
Apple has exuberantly criticized Microsoft for the security vulnerabilities of its products. The fact is, though, that that criticism is grossly misplaced. For its part, Microsoft has been extremely disciplined in ignoring Apple's advertisements.
The current Mac commercials specifically imply that Windows PCs are vulnerable to viruses and Macs are not. I can't disagree that PCs are frequent victims of viruses and other attacks, but so are Macs. In fact, the first viruses targeted Macs. Apple itself recommended in December 2008 that users buy antivirus software. It quickly recanted that statement, though, presumably for marketing purposes.
It certainly could not have been for real security reasons. A ZDNet summary of 2007 vulnerabilities showed that there were five times more vulnerabilities for Mac OS than for all types of Windows PC operating systems.
How can Apple get away with this blatant disregard for security? I have come to the conclusion that ...the FTC must investigate Apple's advertising claims with regard to security...
Please read the full article.
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