Running antivirus software on your Macintosh is a good idea, Apple says. In a knowledge-base article on its support  site, Apple is encouraging users to run security software on Mac OS X.
While no computer connected to the Internet is immune to viruses and spyware, Apple noted that Mac OS X is built on a UNIX foundation and designed with security in mind. Apple also pointed to the security of its Web browser, Safari, which alerts users whenever they are downloading an application. But Apple is nonetheless recommending security software.
"Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus-writing process more difficult," the article says. Apple specifically recommends three security apps: Intego VirusBarrier X5, Symantec Norton AntiVirus 11 for Macintosh, and McAfee VirusScan for Mac.
Is There A Problem with OS X?
While there's plenty of chatter on blogs and forums, security researchers warn not to take Apple's suggestion as some sort of prophetic insight into the state of Mac OS X security.
"The bottom line is Apple is encouraging the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that it makes it more difficult for antivirus actors to have success. It's not like Apple is saying there is a big problem and it needs to be subverted right away," said Ken Dunham, director of global response for iSight Partners. "Apple is saying this is a best practice everyone should have in place."
Noteworthy is the fact that although Apple is known for a safe and secure virus-resistant platform today, in the 1980s and early 1990s the Mac was among the top platforms for spreading malicious code. That changed with the introduction of Windows 95 and the Internet.
"We do see some attacks against Macintosh operating systems, but they are few and far between," Dunham said. "There is not a highly prevalent threat that exists daily for Macintosh users like there is for Windows users."
No Platform is Immune
Of course the Mac platform is not immune. In fact, McAfee notes that the annual rate of vulnerability discovery on Apple's Mac OS increased 228 percent from 2003 to 2005. And just last month, Symantec warned Mac OS X users that the Metasploit hacking framework could heighten the threat of Samba, an unpatched bug in the Apple operating system.
"We do see some attacks that are starting to take place, and the areas that appear to be of greatest concern are the DNS changer and rogue spyware-type products that install software without asking, or make things look legitimate that aren't," Dunham said. "These types of attacks are becoming more of a hybrid-based attack. They are not just targeting Windows any more. They are targeting multiple versions of operating systems, including Mac."
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