Sharp increase in Mac OS X flaws detected

INSECURITY EXPERTS at the SANS Institute have noticed that there have been a sharp number of flaws being discovered in the Mac OS X.

While the outfit confirms that the Mac machines are still safer than those running Windows, it says that is only because there are so few of them, hackers can't be bothered.

However, according to SANS semi-annual update, "The number of flaws being discovered in the operating system is leaving its reputation as a secure alternative to Windows in tatters,"

A spokesSANS said that Apple users felt invincible when they have their shiny silver-colored Apple and they are surfing the Web, but that was a mistake, because "there's a significant amount of research going on for security vulnerabilities in the Mac OS."

Last year there were 52 vulnerabilities found in the Mac OS X in 2005, this year 17 have already been found.

Out the flaws uncovered last year and so far in 2006, at least a third were considered critical, Sarwate said.

SANS believe that Apple's move to Intel chips will attract more attention to its system. Boot camp will also mean that hackers will be researching ways that they can get viruses to jump from Windows to Mac or Linux partitions.

Meanwhile SANS notes that there is a significant decline in vulnerabilities being reported in Windows services such as Internet Information Server, mail services and NetBIOS.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, that decline has been offset by a sharp increase in Windows Metafile flaw and Internet Exploder vulnerabilities.

More on Macworld, here. µ