Symantec: Mac Users May be Deluding Themselves on Security
September 20, 2005
Mac users are "operating under a false sense of security," according to Symantec Corp., and Firefox users will have to recognize that the popular open-source web browser is currently a greater security risk than Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer.
Symantec's latest Internet Security Threat Report, published today, found evidence that attackers are beginning to organize for attacks on the Mac operating system. Researchers also found that over the past six months, nearly twice as many vulnerabilities surfaced in Mozilla browsers as in Explorer.
"It is now clear that the Mac OS is increasingly becoming a target for the malicious activity, contrary to popular belief that the Mac OS is immune to traditional security concerns," the report said.
"While there have been no reports of widespread infection to date, this Trojan serves to demonstrate that as Mac OS X increases in popularity so, too, will the scrutiny it receives from potential attackers," the report said. "Mac users may be operating under a false sense of security."
Twenty-five vulnerabilities were disclosed for Mozilla browsers, including Firefox, in the first half of the year, compared with 13 for Explorer, Symantec said. Eighteen of the Mozilla flaws were classified as high severity, compared with eight Explorer flaws so designated.
Symantec also warned of other emerging threats, notably to increasingly popular IP telephony systems, wireless networks and mobile devices. Meanwhile, attack code is becoming more sophisticated, with attackers using modular code that can avoid detection systems, Symantec said.
Source: TechWorld.com
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