From Jerry Huxtable
There were some interesting figures in your piece on the report from antivirus company Symantec on internet security risks (2 April, p 7). The article seemed to compare new vulnerabilities discovered in a 6-month period for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser with the total known vulnerabilities in the entire Apple Mac OS X operating system – hardly a fair comparison.
There is also a big difference between vulnerabilities and exploited vulnerabilities. A company recently offered a $25,000 bounty for the first person to write a successful OS X virus, though this has now been withdrawn for legal reasons.
The Symantec report has been widely criticised, and a quick web search will find many pages refuting the claims. Of course, it is just possible that while Mac users have not in the past had much use for antivirus software, spreading, uncertainty and doubt might frighten a few into buying some.
Whitchurch-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, UK
