As I understand it, on Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:24:49 -0000,
gordon@hammy.burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) wrote:

>>Talk about prank! The fallacy that Macs are immune from viruses and
>>exploits is so much bull-hocky. Macs (and OS-X) are absolutely no more
>>impervious to these attacks than are PCs; it is simply that almost all the
>>exploits are against the PC, which account for 96% of all computers sold.
>
>Macs are certainly NOT immune. However, there are a number of
>features of Windows that certainly don't help the situation. One
>of them is being able to double-click on executable code that came
>from an outside source (email, web site, USENET) and RUN it without
>even having to save it as a disk file. Another is Windows hiding
>file extensions so you can't tell the difference between a piece
>of malware and an image.

You have the option to not have the extensions hidden.

>
>Also, Windows usually gets set up (fixed in Vista, I think) with all
>users having administrative privileges.

Every copy of XP I've used hasn't done this. There is the
option to set it up like this during installation, but only a moron
would grant *everyone* admin privileges.

>That's not a good thing for
>viruses being able to write on and infect system files (at least on
>systems with more than one user, other users get infected when the first
>one does. That's less likely if users can't write on each other's files.)
>
>
>>If Macs were 97% of the computers sold, it would be Macs being attacked and
>>PC users saying "get a PC". I love the look on the face of a Mac owner that
>>has brought his/her machine in for a problem, and we tell them it was
>>infected...they actually believe that their machines are "impervious". This
>>false sense of security is laugable, and dangerous.

Security through obscurity is no security.

--
Kent

Aspire to inspire before you expire.