Mac OS X, Less Secure Since Intel Arrived

According to Apple Insider, the recently launched Mac-Intels are selling like hot cakes, actually much better than Apple expected. But not only the desktop division is doing so well, also the newest notebooks in Apple's offering are highly appreciated and it's obvious that these systems are already embarked on an ascending trend.

Still, for Apple enthusiasts, it's not all good news after all, since the shift from PowerPC platforms to the Intel X86 also comes with a decrease of stability for the Mac OS X. According to several experts, the new Mac systems, desktop and notebook alike, are less secure than the previous Apple systems, built on the PowerPC platform.

Oliver Friedrichs, a senior manager at Symantec Corp. Security Response said that "attackers have been focused on the [Intel] x86 for over a decade". Mr. Friedrichs pointed out that hackers "have access to hundreds of documents and examples of how to exploit common vulnerabilities on x86." Also, hackers have access not only to documentation, but to numerous tools and applications that have been tested extensively and enable attackers to exploit known vulnerabilities of the Intel platform. There are much more available tools to do so for the X 86 technology than for the PowerPC.

Still, specialists do agree that Mac OS X is one of the most stable and secure systems around and Apple is investing a lot of money into security talent.