A lot of people tend to think that Macs are on this special pedestal compared to PCs. They don’t get viruses, they don’t break down as often, it’s harder to hack them… You get the point. But I think this attitude is really unwarranted. I personally believe that Macs are just as vulnerable as PCs. But do you really need to protect you Mac with anti-virus software and a good firewall like you do with most PCs? I’m thinking yes.

Why Macs Are Less Targeted

In general, Macs are safer than PCs. One big reason for this is the fact that despite Mac’s growing in popularity, they are still quite a bit less popular than their PC counterparts. There is far less reason and incentive for virus programmers and hackers to target Mac computers. How many times have you ever seen a Mac user claiming that “Macs don’t get viruses”? To a certain extent, this is true. Because of the lower market share that Mac computers hold, there is less incentive to target Apple computer products. Hackers and virus programmers want to do as much damage as possible and targeting a product that has a relatively low prevalence to begin with is not in their best interest as a result.

Macs Are Often Carriers

This is not to say Macs aren’t ever infected. The Mac OS is based off of Unix which is admittedly harder to make viruses and spyware programs for. This means a lot of hackers and virus programmers make programs specifically designed to target Windows operating systems. But Mac users often pick up these programs and bits of malicious codes on their devices. And while these programs may not have a direct impact on their personal computers, when they share files or documents with Windows users, they may inadvertently spread that code onto a system that can be infected by the virus.

Market Share Is Rising

Apple makes a quality product. People like it. Their market share is rising. Therefore, in due time, there will be incentive for hackers and virus programmers to begin targeting Mac users. In fact it’s already happening. Flashback to last year’s Flashback trojan (and no, I won’t apologize for the pun), which definitely highlighted the ongoing issue of there not being a wide range of security products and offerings for Mac and Apple devices. Let’s face it, the golden age of “invulnerable Macs” is nearing an end if it hasn’t already ended.

Bottom Line

No, you don’t have to get a firewall or virus protection if you run a Mac. For now, you’re pretty safe. Although this era does seem to be drawing to a close. With Apple’s increasing market share, incentive for targeting Mac computers is definitely on the rise. Besides, if you want to be a responsible Mac owner and not be a “carrier” who might infect your PC counterparts, getting some good protection is something I definitely recommend. In addition, you may want to consider purchasing reliable insurance such as Protect Your Bubble laptop Insurance because you don’t want to be the gopher of the next big era-changing Mac hacking!

About the author:

Laura Ginn is a professional writer and blogger. She is an avid Apple fan but wants to set a responsible example by encouraging all Mac users to be in touch with the latest security risks. Remember Mac users, we are not immortal!