Robert Bathurst - The Hackers Guide to OS X: Exploiting OS X from the Root Up

As I write this, Im contemplating the evolution of Apple/Mac, and the progress made around protecting Apple products. Mac systems have gained in market share over the last few years, and you cant argue with the amount of flexibility and pure performance power you can get out of the Mac. The late Steve Jobs and his team have developed outstanding products that I too have grown to depend on for my business and personal use. For the longest time I was anti-Mac. I couldnt justify in my mind the additional cost, the attitude of the Mac crowd, or that there was any chance it was that much better of a product. I was wrong. There is a reason that Apple products have been so popular. They are built to perform, and built to be easy to use.

But along with that popularity comes risk. Nothing can be 100% secure, and as Apples market share has grown, so has the threat to their products. Unfortunately complacency has grown to a point where most users expect the Mac to be perfectly secured. And, therefore, the growth of the security of Mac OS has been lagging.

It is my belief that this situation must rapidly change, and does appear to be changing. The largest known Mac attack to date (2012) is the Flashback malware, which is estimated to have infected over 600,000 machines. In response to Flashback, Apple took an entirely new approach, and for the first time they were open about how they were addressing this malware issue. While their response method is a topic of debate in security circles, it was still an evolution from how they addressed any previous security issues that have been identified.

We also cannot forget about the technology breakthroughs that we lovingly call the iPhone, iPad, and any other products that run the Apple iOS. These devices have become the mobile computing platforms that we take with us everywhere. Apples security, related to iOS, is considered fairly solid, but that doesnt mean it will remain that way. Any devices using the iOS are targets for exploitation, and as security holes are discovered, there will be further attempts to take advantage of those vulnerabilities.

This book gives you a strong foundation for securing your MAC OSX and iOS, and it gives you techniques for bettering your platforms for future protections. Take advantage of this information and protect yourself.

The bigger the target, the bigger the threat, the more likelihood of occurrence AND the necessity of demonstrating responsibility to the consumers of their products.

Greg Miles, Ph.D., CISA, CISSP, CISM

Peak Security, Inc.