Can a Virus Bring Down a Mac? Mac OS X Software Has 'More High-Risk Vulnerabilities', Expert Says

In the first few years since the revamped Mac came out, users adopted the popular notion that the Mac is less vulnerable to viruses as many of these anomalies are made using Windows OS, among other reasons.

Fast forward nearly a decade later, can the same be said of Apple's personal computers and mobile devices?

If you ask the experts, they will say yes. They would even respond the same way if they were asked a couple of years ago.

"A few years ago, Flashback malware exploited a security flaw in Java," Digital Trends noted. "It managed to infect 600,000 Macs, which was roughly 1 percent of the user base."

What Bitdefender's Senior E-Threat Analyst, Bogdan Botezatu, said may also get Mac users doing a double take when it comes to the security of their devices.

"Mac OS X software has more high-risk vulnerabilities than all versions of Windows put together," he told the tech news source "Apple markets these products as virus-free. They say you don't need an antivirus, because they know people hate antivirus software. These utilities often slow down your computer, so they don't want to promote them."

Digital Trends went on to point out that the absence of antivirus software in Macs keep virus or malware infections from being reported. As such, there is no accurate picture on how widespread or serious the infections are among Macs.

However, as AV-Test noted, about 98% of new malware created this year so far were created for Windows oos, while less than 5,000 viruses were made for the Mac OS X.

"But these kinds of malicious software do exist," the research institute maintained.

Bogdan noted that Windows remain a popular target as it's costlier to "build Mac OS X malware than Windows-based malware."

Back in 2012, Computerworld observed that Apple had changed its marketing language in relation to the Mac's inability to get infected with PC viruses, leading one to think that the change, in effect, was tantamount to the company admitting that, yes, its computers can be infected.

"A Mac isn't susceptible to the thousands of viruses plaguing Windows-based computers. That's thanks to built-in defenses in Mac OS X that keep you safe, without any work on your part," read Apple's original boast on its official page.

However, it was later changed to this:

"Built-in defenses in OS X keep you safe from unknowingly downloading malicious software on your Mac."

To its credit, Apple's Mac OS X does have security protocols that help it fend off attacks, such as the necessity to enter your password before reconfiguring the system, and "a gatekeeper sub-system that doesn't allow you to install files unless they are digitally signed by Apple."

So, how do you protect your Mac from viruses?

The experts recommend that you keep your OS and apps updated and run an antivirus suite that can scan your device for security threats.

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