OS X Tiger Security Concerns

As far as users who own Macs are concerned, or not concerned, viruses and the like are really not that big of a deal. This is true because there never really has been a threat of getting a virus. But with Apple’s latest OS upgrade there has been quite a buzz around the internet about new security threats in regards to Apple’s new baby, The Dashboard Widget.

The concern is this: Dashboard Widgets are installed automatically upon download, but only if you are using Safari. Since it installs automatically, malicious software could be put on the computer unbenownst to the user.

Apple has added a few safeguards concerning this issue. Safari asks if the downloaded Widget, or application, should be run. Also, when a widget is loaded into Dashboard for the first time the user is prompted to either accept or decline the widget.

While I think these concerns carry a little bit of weight, I don’t think they will pose any problems as long as the internet user is responsible.

Here are a couple tips for downloading Dashboard Widgets or any applications.

Always download files from respected websites. For example, downloading widgets from Apple.com is much safer than downloading something from WidgetsRWeEmporium.ru. If the website looks or sounds sketchy, it probably is.

Never accept anything you are unsure about. I have a relative who had a Spyware program on her computer that she didn’t know about. Everytime she started up Windows a program would start that appeared legitimate and asked if she wanted to update some files. She took the smart route and said no, since she had no clue what the program was.

Finally, know what you put on your computer. Many people I know just download things indiscriminately, from anywhere, because they can. This click-happy approach is terrible and is a quick and sure way to kill your computer without knowing what happened.