A big selling point for Apple Macs has been the much reduced risk from viruses compared with Windows, however this may not be true for very much longer.
Set aside for now that since Apple switched to Intel processors that increasing numbers of users are using Windows operating systems and are thus as vulnerable as their PC Windows brethren.
Apple’s advertising campaign has worked and their market share is rising globally and has increased to 8.5% in the US which is nearing the 10% point that ArsTechnica believes will be tipping point and will see the malware authors begin to target MacOS X in earnest.
The malware authors may in fact start before the magic 10% barrier is passed as in some sectors two-thirds of retail sales of computers in the $1000 dollars and above bracket are now Macs.
As malware authors are increasingly more motivated by money than the fame that script-kiddies in the past sought the MacOs is now a lucrative market that is currently underexploited. Also given the blasé attitude that many Mac users have towards the threat of viruses and malware due to Apple’s marketing – this spoof of their famous advert may become the norm.
