Researchers and engineers who are working in the security field musthave strong constitutions—especially when it comes to weatheringnegative backlash and tired conspiracy theories whenever security andMac OS X are mentioned in the same breath. With that in mind, in aneffort to improve the quality of the dialogue, I would like to discusssome important issues regarding Mac OS X and security.
Let’sstart with the hot-button issue of Mac OS X viruses. Simply put, at thetime of writing this article, there are no file-infecting viruses thatcan infect Mac OS X. I see some of you raising a hand or two, wantingto ask me some “but, what about…” types of questions. Indeed, inFebruary of this year, when OSX.Leap.Awas discovered the news headlines declared that it was the “First evervirus for Mac OS X!” Long before the digital ink dried on thosesimplistic and sensational headlines our Security...
