There has been a lot of talk (link 1,
link 2,
link 3) during the last few days about a support
article that seemingly appeared on Apple's
website. In the article, Apple advised users to
install an anti-virus software to make sure their
computers are safe. The reason it took people by
surprise is that Apple has previously said that
Mac users doesn't have to worry about antivirus
software.
Turns out the support article was
from 2007 and now has been pulled from Apple's
site. Apple also issued a statement saying that
the article was outdated and that Macs really
don't need antivirus because they are so secure.
Quoting a spokesperson from Apple:
"The Mac is designed with built-in
technologies that provide protection against
malicious software and security threats, right
out of the box."
That's just silly.
While
there is much less malware out there for Macs,
they
definitely exist, and Mac users are as likely to fall victim for
traditional email based phishing attacks as PC
users. Not to mention all the
security vulnerabilities
that Apple has fixed this year that fortunately
weren't exploited but easily could have been.
The fact is that yes, Mac users are much
less likely to get hit by malware but that doesn't
mean that they can be totally careless and ignore
potential threats all together. Use common sense
and if they want to be extra safe, do install an
antivirus software.
