Hacking Community Considers Microsoft More Secure Than Apple

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Hacking Community Considers Microsoft More Secure Than Apple

Reality Lies Beyond Marketing. by SoftwareGuru One of the hardest things to do in life is admit when you are wrong. It's one thing to admit to ourselves that we don't know everything, it's another to admit it to other people. For many years now there has been a common perception that Apple Mac computers are safer and more secure than Windows PCs. "Look at all the viruses you can get on a PC!", people usually shout online whenever the debate arises. All of which makes the recent interview with former U.S. hacker turned security expert, Marc Maiffret, both fascinating and revealing. Having been investigated by the FBI as a teenager, Maiffret is something of a celebrity hacker having appeared in MTV's "True Life: I'm a Hacker," and being named one of People Magazine's 30 People Under 30. Maiffret is firmly of the opinion that Microsoft has the best practices when it comes to software security in 2010. "Now when you look at Microsoft today they do more to secure their software than anyone. They're the model for how to do it. They're not perfect; there's room for improvement. But they are definitely doing more than anybody else in the industry, I would say", Maiffret told CNet in an interview. "From an internal process in how they go about auditing their code and securing software from a technical perspective, they do have one of the best models." "The area they still have room for improvement is around time lines of how long it takes for them to fix things."
	Apple and Adobe Security Concerns Now that Microsoft have made significant improvements in software security, more hackers are starting to target Apple and Adobe software. Consumer demand for iPhones and iPads are bringing Apple in particular firmly under the hacking spotlight. Maiffret believes both Apple and Adobe are leaving their customers vulnerable to attacks. "They are starting to get black eyes with people saying Adobe is a bigger worry than Microsoft is at the moment, which I agree with. As those things are happening, Adobe and Apple and other companies are starting to pay attention and care more. But a year ago, it was still very much a marketing thing." "People from both companies treated it as a marketing problem. They didn't have good technical structures behind the scenes." Apple has hired an industry-noted security employee formerly of Microsoft, but Maiffret still says that Apple's very much behind when it comes to security. "They've really only begun in the last six months or so taking security seriously and understanding that it impacts their business in a serious way." Referring to Apple, Maiffret said, "It's even a little scarier with them because they try to market themselves as more secure than the PC, that you don't have to worry about viruses, etc. "Anytime there's been a hacking contest, within a few hours someone's found a new Apple vulnerability. If they were taking it seriously, they wouldn't claim to be more secure than Microsoft because they are very much not." "The Apple community is pretty ignorant to the risks that are out there as it relates to Apple. The reason we don't see more attacks out there compared to Microsoft is because their market share isn't near what Microsoft's is." "I think Microsoft does a better job with their code auditing than folks like Apple do. We've only seen a scratching of the surface as far as Apple vulnerabilities."
Maintaining Your PC Security Whether you use a Windows PC or Apple Mac, the interview highlights the need to take computer security seriously. Visiting and downloading from dodgy sites is a sure-fire way of unwittingly allowing viruses and other net nasties access to your computer. Software prices for home users and students have fallen significantly in recent years. At Software4Students Ireland, we sell 100% official, genuine software on behalf of our partners. Our Kaspersky 2010 internet security packages offer tremendous value for money and you can save even more with our multi-license deals. Genuine software at low prices gives you peace of mind as well as the benefit of free security updates on a regular basis. Strong passwords, regular data backups and email phishing awareness are also vital to keep your personal information secure. Kaspersky has won numerous five star awards for its 2010 packages. Isn't it time you made security more of a priority? Click on the following link to visit our Kaspersky 2010 internet security offers.

Hacking Community Considers Microsoft More Secure Than Apple

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