Eugene Kaspersky of Kaspersky Lab security firm has said that in terms of computer security, Apple's Mac is at least 10 years behind Microsoft. The CEO feels that Cupertino could learn a lot from Microsoft and will have to revise the way they approach security updates following a string of recent malware attacks.
Speaking exclusively to CBR at Info Security 2012 in London, Kaspersky said that the recent Flashback malware attacks are likely just the start of a new wave of attacks aimed at Macs as the platform becomes more popular. He has been saying for years that from a security point, there is no difference between Mac and Windows.
He goes on to say that his company has been seeing more and more Mac malware and with the recent outbreaks, it's just a matter of time and market share. Cyber criminals have learned from the outbreak and will use that knowledge in future attacks. The bad guys will still primarily target PCs since they outsell Macs by a large margin but the days of not having to worry about a security threat on the Apple OS are numbered.
"They will understand very soon that they have the same problems Microsoft had 10 or 12 years ago," Kaspersky said. "They will have to make changes in terms of the cycle of updates and so on and will be forced to invest more into their security audits for the software."
If you haven't been keeping up, a Mac malware known as Flashback infected more than 600,000 machines worldwide earlier this month with 56 percent of the infections in the US. Apple was criticized by many for not releasing a fix and removal tool fast enough as several security firms, Kaspersky included, released fixes ahead of Apple's official patch.