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Windows Mac Linux Security

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Submitted By negativzeroe
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Security
Mac
Viruses
Many Mac users believe their systems are impervious to threats. This is a naïve falsity of course because no computer system is invulnerable. It is a known fact that Windows can be very prone to virus infections, but since there are so little Mac viruses, people like to get it in their heads that it isn’t possible. Mac OS X is built on the UNIX kernel, one of the most secure operating systems. UNIX creates a file system in which the user isn’t the most powerful role on the computer and needs root permission to really make any major changes. It is technically more secure, but the only other real benefit is that Apple doesn’t populate a large percentage of the PC marketplace.
Apple used to encourage this way of thinking, but after the Flashback virus (Perlroth, 2012), they decided it wasn’t a good idea to lie to their customers. Apple replaced their “Why you’ll love a Mac” website containing “It doesn’t get PC viruses” to “It’s built to be safe” (Mlot, 2012). Since malware really only exploits existing bugs or holes in an operating system, it is up to Apple to fix those holes, and they do a pretty good job of it. But in any case, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Some pretty good Mac antivirus include MacKeeper, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro (Sutherland, 2014).
Preventative Maintenance With the threats to OS X made real, there are some simple tricks to keep a Mac up and running. The first of which is the ever-important data backup. Time Machine, is Apple’s all-in-one backup program similar to the Acronis True Image available on Windows. This lets you back up just your files, or even take a “snapshot” of your computer exactly how it is in a large image file, and store it on an external drive. As with any system though, updates are important. These will keep a system as patched as possible and able to withstand a lot of attacks. The Mac

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