Mac vs. PC Security – Is It That Simple?

Daniel Miessler thinks so – I'm not so sure … Mac vs. PC Security In One Sentence:

If you follow Information Security at all or have been part of a PC vs. Mac discussion at any level, you’ve probably come across the timeless question of:

What’s more secure, Mac or PC?

Well, there’s an analogy from renowned security researcher Charlie Miller that elegantly captures the answer in a single sentence:

Mac OS X is like living in a farmhouse in the country with no locks, and Windows is living in a house with bars on the windows in the bad part of town.

In other words, less security with less exposure (OS X) vs. more security with more exposure (Windows).

In short, having a secure operating system and being safe are two different things. Exposure matters. So even though Windows is technically more resistant to attack, people using it are still less safe than if they were to use OS X.