Apple – The price of success

Apple joins long-suffering Microsoft as a target for viruses.

• Apple has a difficult time ahead of it as I suspect that it is not best prepared to deal with the increasing number of attacks being aimed at its systems.
• For years, Apple has been virus-free for no other reason than the hackers could not be bothered to write viruses to target such a small number of devices.
• This has all changed with hundreds of millions of iOS devices in the hands of users and Apple’s dominance of the users that are worth hacking.
• Hence it is of no surprise that a new virus targeted at iPhones and iPads has emerged.
• The aim of the virus is still unclear but it is capable of stealing personal data and as well as causing other mischief.
• The good news is that if the user sticks only to the tightly controlled Apple ecosystem and Apple’s own App. Store then iOS devices should be safe from infection.
• It is only through using a source other than the App Store on a Mac that the virus can make its way onto iOS devices.
• This is good news for Apple as it ensures that it has time to act while the hackers are trying to figure out a way of breaking into devices that remain only within the Apple ecosystem.
• This is a much more difficult task as everything that is available on the App store has to be approved by Apple and checked for malware.
• However, as Apple’s ecosystem continues to grow in size, it will become increasingly attractive for hackers.
• Eventually, they will find the weaknesses in the system which has the potential to cause much greater embarrassment for Apple.
• Currently, this is not a massive problem as only devices that stray outside of the tightly controlled ecosystem are going to be affected but Apple needs to act now.
• The server based part of its ecosystem has already been shown to be vulnerable and I am certain that there are many other vulnerabilities.
• This is a constant game of cat and mouse but for Apple to maintain its image as the safest place to be, it needs to act now and prevent intrusions that could do it some real damage.