Macs & Viruses: The End of Innocence

Macs & Viruses: The End of Innocence

With the Flashback botnet continuing to plague Mac users, it's good time to reflect on those Apple vs PC Ads. Oh you know the one where the slick Apple dude tells the PC guy that Mac's "don't get viruses".  And that probably was true when the ads ran in 2006: malicious code has been traditionally targeted towards Windows. For the cybercriminals behind these outbreaks it's just a game of numbers: more PCs users = more potential victims =more $$$. However, the picture has changed from 2006: Macs have risen from being 4% of the market to nearly 13% of the market in Q3 of 2011.  However, the numbers are just one part of the story. As illustrated Apple's smug ad, Apple users have been lulled into a false sense of security: "PCs not Macs" get viruses. This makes Mac users a juicy target for viruses, as they are likely not to have the proper security in place to prevent viruses.  Sorry Mac users, I know it's a sad day - but you have to defend yourself from viruses just like all the PC users out there.