Here is an article from a security guy who switched to Macs because he’s tired of dealing with Windows’ security problems.
Corsaire, an IT consultant, has released a white paper which states that OS X is one of the most secure operating systems around in its default configuration and has many other security features that can make it even more secure.
Many of the security updates Apple puts out are preemptive fixes for theoretical exploits. Most of these risks are identified in-house though much of the core code for OS X is now openly available. Updates are released when they are finished, avoiding the monthly update gap for Windows that is often exploited by exploit writers.
On the other hand, Microsoft has ignored serious exploits for weeks or even months in some cases. See articles: here, here, here. . . this is only a sampling.
I was unable to find a web site I read about two or three years ago that was put up by a person who discovered an exploit in Windows XP. He was at first ignored by Microsoft and was later threatened with criminal prosecution when he chose to publish some general information about the exploit in an attempt to get Microsoft to actually do something about it.
In addition, statements like these from Microsoft’s security division head don’t do anything to make people feel good about trusting their OS. Admittedly, this was about four years ago, and there are, apparently, major changes in some XP programs that will plug at least some of the gaping gaps Windows seems to have. Gives people something to make them feel good while they are waiting for the reportedly vastly improved Longhorn to be released sometime next year.
Some things I’d also like to point out is that OS X usually tells you what it’s going to fix and why when it updates. Many applications do not use an installer, which means that they don’t strew files all over your system. When they do use an installer, it’s the OS X installer, which will not do anything to screw up the system, keeps a log of its activities, and requires an administrator password to run.
When I was setting up Windows XP for my girlfriend’s Athlon box (I couldn’t convince her to get a Mac; apparently The Sims 2 is a mission-critical application) I found it very disconcerting to have installers doing who-knows-what behind the scenes, often with no way to get a log of the installer’s activity. I had to trust that the application’s installer wouldn’t screw something up. Updates were also opaque. If you wanted to find out what was done and why, you’d have to look on the Microsoft website. Running Norton Internet Security has brought home in a visceral way just how often Windows tries to access network services in the background. At least once an hour we get an alert that some service wants to access the internet, despite the fact that in the interest of security I set up every option I could find to NOT contact anything external unless it was user-initiated. Without Norton, I wouldn’t have even known that my system was trying to contact the internet.
The more open attitude that Apple has is not only more friendly, it makes you more likely to cooperate. I think one reason people don’t update Windows is because they don’t have any idea how important it is to do so because Microsoft’s policy is to generally keep the user in the dark. “Just do it because we tell you to,” is an attitude that engages our inner teenager and results in many users giving the electronic middle finger to MS. This psychological component, the perception of Microsoft being untrustworthy and patronizing, is often ignored by people when they talk about computer security, but I think it should not be underestimated.
Mac users update frequently partly because they trust Apple to: 1) Not screw up their system with an update (although this has happened, rarely). 2) Let them know what is being changed and why. 3) Actually fix the things that are supposed to be fixed with the update. You also have more control over the update process, letting you dictate how intrusive the updater is and how involved you want to be in the update process. I’ve grown to loathe the little “pop” and tag window that comes up when Windows wants me to update. It annoys me in much the same way one of my co-workers does when she hovers at the edge of my personal space, hoping that I’ll notice her, instead of approaching normally and asking her damn question.
