The most secure Windows platform has finally managed to top Apple's most advanced and still advancing operating system in terms of security. While March 2007 is for Microsoft a sabbatical
month as far as security bulletins are concerned, Apple more than made up for the Redmond Company's update time out.
On March 13, 2007 Microsoft had scheduled its monthly patch cycle. Only that this month, the Redmond Company did not release any security patches for vulnerabilities across its products. The last time that users of Microsoft products last experienced such a breath of fresh air was two years ago, in 2005.
Still, Apple managed to fill in the gap perfectly. Also on March 13, the Cupertino-based company released security updates for no less than 45 vulnerabilities impacting Mac OS X and third party applications bundled with the operating system.
And while Mac OS X users are busy bees updating and patching their operating system, Windows Vista users can kick back, even if it is just for this month. This is an argument that should put a sock in a lot of mouths that applaud the security of Mac OS X over Windows. But that won't happen. Not even with this month's Apple patches. There is simply too much arrogance in Mac users, a behavior condoned and shared by Apple as a company. But I guess that at under 6% of the operating system market you have to find something to console yourself with...
No operating system, no matter the code quality it features, is 100% secure. Not Mac OS X and certainly not Windows Vista. The 45 patched vulnerabilities for Apple products come to prove that given enough exposure and effort, Mac OS X is just as vulnerable as Windows. The fact of the matter is that, Microsoft releases security updates in a monthly cycle, with few exceptions, while Apple launches patches whenever necessary.
About the security content of Mac OS X 10.4.9 and Security Update 2007-003 is a document provided by Apple describing the vulnerabilities patched in March. You cannot access a similar resource for Microsoft products, as Microsoft patched no security vulnerabilities this month.
Two coincidences have to be mentioned in order to get a perspective on the issue. First off, January was the month of Apple bugs. But January was also the month Windows Vista was made commercially available, while Apple vulnerabilities were raining in at the rate of one a day. Additionally, one month after Vista hit the shelves, Apple patched 45 vulnerabilities while Microsoft issued zero security patches. Anyone else got the impression that Windows Vista delivers a tad extra in terms of security?
