OS X becoming a target for malicious attacks?

Mac fans have long bragged about how secure their platform of choice is: while, statistically speaking, OS X has seen fewer attacks than Windows, it has never been entirely clear whether this was the result of a more secure OS, a smaller installed user base (and thus, fewer targets) or both. Well, we may soon find out. As we recently reported, this year alone has seen a record number of patches from Apple, which seems to suggest that the Mac's growing user base and visibility are making it a more attractive target for hackers. eWeek seems to agree: the publication recently suggested that the quick release of exploit code for a a recently detailed OS X vulnerability points to the end of the Mac's days under the radar of exploit writers. "It is very Microsoft. It's something we've grown to expect in Microsoft: The descriptions of patches lead people to write exploits for something that's been patched," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group. "It was only a matter of time before that kind of behavior hit [the Mac] platform. People are going after consumers, and they're going after consumers broadly."

For more on the changing landscape of OS X security:
- see this eWeek article