According to the latest SANS Institute Top 20 Internet Security
Vulnerabilities report, Mac OS X is rapidly becoming a new source for
vulnerabilities.

SANS listed its top trend as the rapidly increasing vulnerabilities *
including a zero-day flaw * appearing in Mac OS X, as the UNIX-based
platform grows in popularity.

"The experts involved in the Top 20 update agree that OS X still
remains safer than Windows, but its reputation for offering a
bullet-proof alternative to Windows is in tatters," according to the
Top 20 report. "OS X vulnerabilities are being discovered at a rapid
pace, as attackers are increasingly turning their attention to the
platform, which could erode this safety in the future."

http://www.macsecuritynews.com

In article <010520061419275127%secure@macsecuritynews.com>,
MacSecurityNews <secure@macsecuritynews.com> wrote:

> According to the latest SANS Institute Top 20 Internet Security
> Vulnerabilities report, Mac OS X is rapidly becoming a new source for
> vulnerabilities.
>
> SANS listed its top trend as the rapidly increasing vulnerabilities *
> including a zero-day flaw * appearing in Mac OS X, as the UNIX-based
> platform grows in popularity.
>
> "The experts involved in the Top 20 update agree that OS X still
> remains safer than Windows, but its reputation for offering a
> bullet-proof alternative to Windows is in tatters," according to the
> Top 20 report. "OS X vulnerabilities are being discovered at a rapid
> pace, as attackers are increasingly turning their attention to the
> platform, which could erode this safety in the future."
>
> http://www.macsecuritynews.com

Not that Mac users should be complacent. but show, SHOW us a box that
has been compromised, data lost and havoc ensued.

--
Regards,
JP
"The measure of a man is what he will do while
expecting that he will get nothing in return!"

In article <010520061419275127%secure@macsecuritynews.com>,
MacSecurityNews <secure@macsecuritynews.com> wrote:

> According to the latest SANS Institute Top 20 Internet Security
> Vulnerabilities report, Mac OS X is rapidly becoming a new source for
> vulnerabilities.
>
> SANS listed its top trend as the rapidly increasing vulnerabilities *
> including a zero-day flaw * appearing in Mac OS X, as the UNIX-based
> platform grows in popularity.
>
> "The experts involved in the Top 20 update agree that OS X still
> remains safer than Windows, but its reputation for offering a
> bullet-proof alternative to Windows is in tatters," according to the
> Top 20 report. "OS X vulnerabilities are being discovered at a rapid
> pace, as attackers are increasingly turning their attention to the
> platform, which could erode this safety in the future."
>
> http://www.macsecuritynews.com

Not that Mac users should be complacent. but show, SHOW us a box that
has been compromised, data lost and havoc ensued.

--
Regards,
JP
"The measure of a man is what he will do while
expecting that he will get nothing in return!"

In article <010520061419275127%secure@macsecuritynews.com>,
MacSecurityNews <secure@macsecuritynews.com> wrote:

> According to the latest SANS Institute Top 20 Internet Security
> Vulnerabilities report, Mac OS X is rapidly becoming a new source for
> vulnerabilities.
>
> SANS listed its top trend as the rapidly increasing vulnerabilities *
> including a zero-day flaw * appearing in Mac OS X, as the UNIX-based
> platform grows in popularity.
>
> "The experts involved in the Top 20 update agree that OS X still
> remains safer than Windows, but its reputation for offering a
> bullet-proof alternative to Windows is in tatters," according to the
> Top 20 report. "OS X vulnerabilities are being discovered at a rapid
> pace, as attackers are increasingly turning their attention to the
> platform, which could erode this safety in the future."
>
> http://www.macsecuritynews.com

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

This is merely an update to a report from last year, with regards to Mac
OS X. They pulled this crap before, got caught at it and reamed out. Now
they are trying to justify their utter stupidity by shoving it down our
throats all over again. Would you believe this is supposed to be a
professional organization?

> Rapid growth in critical vulnerabilities being discovered in Mac OS/X
> including a zero-day vulnerability

Rapid compared to what? Windows? Don't make me laugh. Make me vomit.
Absolutely there are vulnerabilities in Mac OS X that are discovered on
a regular basis. And how does that compare to the number being
discovered in Windows? Like at least a couple orders of magnitude less!
This statement by SANS is pure FUD.

> OS/X still remains safer than Windows,

Well DUH! 150,000+ malware for Windows versus 5 for Mac OS X. Do ya
think?

> but its reputation for offering a
> bullet-proof alternative to Windows is in tatters.

Liar liar, pants on fire!

NEVER has anyone but an idiot said Mac OS X was 'bulletproof'. The
concept is ludicrous, invented in order to slander Mac OS X users and
Apple. Doesn't this SANS statement sound EXACTLY like what a WinTroll
would say?! There's a reason for that:

SANS are a FUD mongering organization when it comes to Mac OS X. I
personally have written to them regarding this fact and they replied
with a defensive and unsubstantiated stance. What they are trying to
pull here in their report is in one sense wise and responsible. But then
they take a flying LEAP over the edge into hysteria and unfounded
innuendo, putting their own reputation as a laudable defender of
computer security in to 'TATTERS'. They have completely lost my
confidence in their judgement. It is a real shame.

My best advice regarding SANS is to totally IGNORE them.

Instead, seek out and regularly visit malware reporting sites that are
actually reputable and don't have some ax of bias to grind. I personally
recommend Secunia. They get right down into the dirt and tell you
EXACTLY what is happening without any hair brain judgements or Fear
Fests.

<http://secunia.com/>

There are at least a dozen other such sites, most of them as good as any
other.

SANS stands out as the one of the TWO sites to avoid. Symantec are FUD
Meisters and so are SANS. Let them play in their dirty little sand boxes
of despair and misery while we go off and play in our clean and honest
sandbox where the computing life is far more joyful and less prone to
evil.

However, need I add my usual refrain? Have a malware checker on your
Mac, and keep it up to date. At least get ClamAV via its GUI apps
ClamXav (FREE!) or Tiger Cache Cleaner ($5, and worth it) and run them
regularly.

There's no need to fear! Anti-malware is here!

My hope for SANS is that they will get some respectable management over
there who throw out the FUD Meisters and replace them with professionals
who know how to state facts, not bullsh*t.

:-Derek

--
Fortune Magazine, 11-29-05: What's your computer setup today?
Frederick Brooks: I happily use a Macintosh. It's not been equalled for ease
of use, and I want my computer to be a tool, not a challenge.
<http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/12/12/8363107/>
[Frederick Brooks is the author of 'The Mythical Man Month'. He spearheaded
the movement to modernize computer software engineering in 1975]

In article <010520061419275127%secure@macsecuritynews.com>,
MacSecurityNews <secure@macsecuritynews.com> wrote:

> According to the latest SANS Institute Top 20 Internet Security
> Vulnerabilities report, Mac OS X is rapidly becoming a new source for
> vulnerabilities.
>
> SANS listed its top trend as the rapidly increasing vulnerabilities *
> including a zero-day flaw * appearing in Mac OS X, as the UNIX-based
> platform grows in popularity.
>
> "The experts involved in the Top 20 update agree that OS X still
> remains safer than Windows, but its reputation for offering a
> bullet-proof alternative to Windows is in tatters," according to the
> Top 20 report. "OS X vulnerabilities are being discovered at a rapid
> pace, as attackers are increasingly turning their attention to the
> platform, which could erode this safety in the future."
>
> http://www.macsecuritynews.com

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

This is merely an update to a report from last year, with regards to Mac
OS X. They pulled this crap before, got caught at it and reamed out. Now
they are trying to justify their utter stupidity by shoving it down our
throats all over again. Would you believe this is supposed to be a
professional organization?

> Rapid growth in critical vulnerabilities being discovered in Mac OS/X
> including a zero-day vulnerability

Rapid compared to what? Windows? Don't make me laugh. Make me vomit.
Absolutely there are vulnerabilities in Mac OS X that are discovered on
a regular basis. And how does that compare to the number being
discovered in Windows? Like at least a couple orders of magnitude less!
This statement by SANS is pure FUD.

> OS/X still remains safer than Windows,

Well DUH! 150,000+ malware for Windows versus 5 for Mac OS X. Do ya
think?

> but its reputation for offering a
> bullet-proof alternative to Windows is in tatters.

Liar liar, pants on fire!

NEVER has anyone but an idiot said Mac OS X was 'bulletproof'. The
concept is ludicrous, invented in order to slander Mac OS X users and
Apple. Doesn't this SANS statement sound EXACTLY like what a WinTroll
would say?! There's a reason for that:

SANS are a FUD mongering organization when it comes to Mac OS X. I
personally have written to them regarding this fact and they replied
with a defensive and unsubstantiated stance. What they are trying to
pull here in their report is in one sense wise and responsible. But then
they take a flying LEAP over the edge into hysteria and unfounded
innuendo, putting their own reputation as a laudable defender of
computer security in to 'TATTERS'. They have completely lost my
confidence in their judgement. It is a real shame.

My best advice regarding SANS is to totally IGNORE them.

Instead, seek out and regularly visit malware reporting sites that are
actually reputable and don't have some ax of bias to grind. I personally
recommend Secunia. They get right down into the dirt and tell you
EXACTLY what is happening without any hair brain judgements or Fear
Fests.

<http://secunia.com/>

There are at least a dozen other such sites, most of them as good as any
other.

SANS stands out as the one of the TWO sites to avoid. Symantec are FUD
Meisters and so are SANS. Let them play in their dirty little sand boxes
of despair and misery while we go off and play in our clean and honest
sandbox where the computing life is far more joyful and less prone to
evil.

However, need I add my usual refrain? Have a malware checker on your
Mac, and keep it up to date. At least get ClamAV via its GUI apps
ClamXav (FREE!) or Tiger Cache Cleaner ($5, and worth it) and run them
regularly.

There's no need to fear! Anti-malware is here!

My hope for SANS is that they will get some respectable management over
there who throw out the FUD Meisters and replace them with professionals
who know how to state facts, not bullsh*t.

:-Derek

--
Fortune Magazine, 11-29-05: What's your computer setup today?
Frederick Brooks: I happily use a Macintosh. It's not been equalled for ease
of use, and I want my computer to be a tool, not a challenge.
<http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/12/12/8363107/>
[Frederick Brooks is the author of 'The Mythical Man Month'. He spearheaded
the movement to modernize computer software engineering in 1975]