Apple’s OS X Experiencing Security Issues, Still Better Than Windows

It was not long ago that Apple actually scored a few hits against Microsoft with its Mac vs. PC ads. Of course, it was marketing fluff that was part of Apple’s campaign to capitalize on Microsoft’s security revamp that went on for years.

However, all this has changed now. Apple’s OS X, that has gained popularity among both consumers and enterprises, has also become a target for hackers too.

Only recently, a report by the security company, Bit9+Carbon Black has found more malware in the operating system this year compared to the last five years in all. Put simply, the company found 948 bits of malware this year compared to just 180 in all from 2010 to 2014.

But even this seems like a substantial increase, they aren’t sophisticated and are very easy to remove.

Most of the malware found were of the adware variety that forces people to view advertisements. So, in large part, these infections were primarily due to the mistakes of users who downloaded questionable software as a result. Still, these apparent flaws that have resulted in a jump of OS X malware is nothing compared to Windows.

Rich Mogull, an analyst at Securiosis, sums it up, in saying, “If you put all of the Mac malware that we’ve seen, and you combine those numbers for the history of OS X, basically it is less by a significant amount than the amount of Windows malware you will see in an hour.”

Of course, while Apple has declined to comment on security issues, it’s clear that they are beefing up key parts of the operating system, El Capitan, that makes it even tougher for hackers to run rogue code.

Yet despite the resource that Apple has at its disposal, mistakes in coding can be made and with the operating system getting more attention, highly skilled security experts have found ways around its defenses too.