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Has Apple Lost Its Security Shine?

First, there was Apple's massive May security update, which patched more than 40 vulnerabilities in Mac OS X and QuickTime. Then the company patched 26 more vulnerabilities in August. Almost simultaneously, security researchers took advantage of a wireless driver vulnerability to hack into a MacBook at this year's Black Hat conference.

What's going on here? Is the shine off Mac OS X? Is a raft of Windows-level security issues on the way for the secure-OS darling?

Relax, that's not about to happen. For starters, the MacBook that the security researchers hacked into was modified: The vulnerable driver was for a third-party wireless access device, not the AirPort card that's built into the MacBook.

While you should never be blasé or deliberately ignorant of security issues, the fact is, OS X is as secure as it ever was. What you're seeing is the natural evolution of the operating system's security as it becomes more popular.

Windows Security Vs. Mac Security

Mac OS X is, out of the box, a very secure OS. It is, however, not magically secure. While some Mac users like to propagate the myth of "Mac OS X's perfect security," the fact is that like any other well-designed OS, Mac OS X is highly resistant, but not invulnerable, to attack.

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