Keeping Apple's Shine

HEATHER CLANCY

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Can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

By rights, I should be upset for being gypped out of better, faster technology, but I&'m just fine with my purchase. I&'m upset for another reason: As the Macintosh becomes more interesting and acceptable to the mainstream technology buyer, I&'m worried security issues will proliferate. The aforementioned conventional wisdom also suggests that as a particular platform becomes more widely used, the less ethical among us will be more interested in wreaking havoc on it.

Although this wasn&'t always the case, in the recent past, the Macintosh has been blissfully immune to many of the nastier worms and viruses, which is one of the reasons that I bought one in the first place. But this is a new year, and I&'m afraid Mac attacks will become more common. Consider that last week, Apple moved to fix eight vulnerabilities in its QuickTime media player that had posed a threat to its iTunes music software, which isn&'t exactly a niche software application. If anyone thinks iTunes holes aren&'t a security threat to businesses, they&'re out of touch with their employees.

If the Macintosh OS becomes just as interesting to hackers and virus writers as Windows, this could be potentially overwhelming for Apple&'s modest network of VARs and systems integrators, many of which are focused on vertical niches such as design. It certainly isn&'t something a retailer&'s service department is ready to take on.

Maybe I&'m unduly worried, since a Unix kernel is at the heart of Apple&'s operating system. But I am continually surprised by the ingenuity of those with a less-than-charitable resolve.

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Don&'t get me wrong, I&'m thrilled about Apple&'s latest generation of computers. But as it enters the new Intel world, Apple&'s channel team needs to think long and hard about building up the security expertise of existing business partners. And it wouldn&'t hurt to add specialists who can ensure the safety of the Macintosh OS—before Apple gets a black eye.

How are you digesting Apple&'s latest move? HEATHER CLANCY, Editor at CRN, is interested in your feedback at [email protected].