Is Apple Changing Its Silent Security Stance?

Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) has long enjoyed its reputation as an impenetrable fortress, free from the malware and security threats that have plagued Windows, but the much-publicized Mac Defender phishing scam that attacked Macs in May has been a wake-up call. While security experts give Apple credit for its response to Mac Defender, they also say Apple needs to remain vigilant against a growing tide of future threats.

The growing popularity of Macs has made OS X an increasingly attractive target for hackers. During the third quarter of 2010 Apple computer shipments broke into double-digit marketshare for the first time since the 1990s, registering 10.4 percent of total U.S. computer shipments and making it the fourth largest computer maker in the country, according to Gartner.

This popularity is giving rise to new crops of malware that is pushing Apple into reconsidering its historically mum stance on security and adopt a more transparent disclosure model in the future, experts say. “MacDefender proved that Apple users are just as likely to click on a malware link as Windows users,” Storms said. “This insight is likely to encourage hackers to try enticing more Mac users into their traps.”