News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

October 25, 2007

security

Apple’s not resting on its laurels with Leopard

Posted Oct. 25, ’07, 7:44 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Security

Lock Apple’s enjoyed a great reputation when it comes to security with OS X. Microsoft has struggled hard after security exploit after security exploit have attacked Windows successfully. Mac OS X isn’t perfect, with its own vulnerabilities. OS X’s design have helped mitigate the risk of many of these issues, but that pressure will only build as platform popularity grows. Despite Vista’s performance and compatibility flaws, Microsoft’s attention to security have paid off with far fewer problems out of the gate.

Rich Mogull, writing for Tidbits (have I mentioned that I love their new redesign?), has put together an excellent overview of how Apple has seriously beefed up security in Leopard. They even went as far as (gasp) to copy Microsoft by implementing ASLR, Address Space Layout Randomization. That’s not all though. Nearly every aspect of the OS has been touched by a security minded influence. You can even create disposable guest accounts for visitors that are cleared upon log out.

While Leopard may lack some of the flash that some users absolutely crave, the security improvements are impressive and a boon to users of all levels.


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