I'm about to celebrate with a big smile 26 years using and abusing with different Macintosh models on a daily basis, having gone through the long "bombing" bugging period all over the Apple systems 'till OS 9.2.2, mostly caused by software development failures. Since then, up to OS 10.6.3. I have played and discarded many apps.
Many files and archives being worked around, intensified by the endless stream flow, since the World Wide Web invention by Tim Berner's Lee using a NeXT computer (a Steve Jobs machine) and the Hypercard-HyperTalk (the Bill Atkinson's awesome high level developing environment), which brought about the HTML code and the first www browser.
And I can truly say that I have never found a "real" virus, adware, spyware or malware in my hard drives.
And I have never installed any virus protection software from companies like Symantec, MacAfee or Sophos, never had the need.
• Any updates today? You tell me. So guess what… Sites like MacUpdate , MacSurfer and Version Tracker are a salvation and information navy for the community. You can find out what is hot and what's going on in the Mac worldwide community.
All that means is that I rely on Apple's security updates allways adressing any secuirity breaches of Mac OSX.
• For example: on April 15th, 2010, 07:01 am EDT, I took note about this, from Version Tracker's news section:
"Alongside a flurry of other important software updates recently emerged from Cupertino, a certain Security Update 2010-003 can now be downloaded from the Support Downloads section of Apple’s website.
Available for Mac OS X v10.5.8, Mac OS X Server v10.5.8, Mac OS X v10.6.3, Mac OS X Server v10.6.3, Security Update 2010-003 patches but one issue on both the Client and Server sides of Apple’s Leopard and Snow Leopard operating systems. “Security Update 2010-003 is recommended for all users and improves the security of Mac OS X,” Apple explains. “Previous security updates have been incorporated into this security update,” the Mac maker says.
On a more detailed note, Apple reveals that Security Update 2010-003 affects Macs running either of the following operating systems: Mac OS X v10.5.8, Mac OS X Server v10.5.8, Mac OS X v10.6.3, Mac OS X Server v10.6.3. As disclosed on the company’s Support area, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger users seem to be unaffected by the issue. Speaking of which, “Viewing or downloading a document containing a maliciously crafted embedded font may lead to arbitrary code execution,” the bug’s summary goes.
A broader description was offered, with Apple noting that: “An unchecked index issue exists in Apple Type Services' handling of embedded fonts. Viewing or downloading a document containing a maliciously crafted embedded font may lead to arbitrary code execution. This issue is addressed through improved index checking,” the Mac maker states, revealing that this was actually Charlie Miller’s Pwn2Own finding. Miller is a renowned security researcher with TippingPoint's Zero Day Initiative. Apple credits the security expert for reporting the issue to it".
• So, always do a clean install, follow the manuals and developer's advice. I must add that, as years go by, I am confident on my comings and goings with the word, image and video processors, demanded in my working field as a hyper text writer. Thanksgo to the people in Apple, Adobe and league of minor third party developers who round out the entire Mac community experience developer some indispensible apps and plugins and lets' not forget MacSurfer, MacUpdate & Version Tracker
