Macs not impervious to Malware: viruses, worms, etc

Although widely considered essentially safe from viruses, Macs are targets of hackers just as Windows PCs are and attacks are increasing.

Macs have had far fewer exploits directed at them because there are fewer of them - they are a smaller target. Also, many hackers think of Apple as a "White Hat" company doing battle against an Evil Microsoft.

But Malware directed towards Macs is unfortunately becoming more common.

Hackers can directly target MacOS, which is now Unix based, or they can target Mac applications. For example the Mozilla browser, very popular on Macintoshes, had" 21 vulnerabilities reported in the second half of 2004," reports TechNewsWorld in Hackers Learn To 'Think Different', an article on Macs and malware. Microsoft Office on Macs is another target.

And although most Windows PCs run anti-virus software, few Macintoshes do, making them an even more attractive target.