The company has removed an online help document that advised customers to use multiple antivirus products to keep their Macs secure.
Following a flurry of arguably unwarranted media attention, Apple has removed an online help document that advised customers to use multiple antivirus products to keep their computers secure. However, a company spokesman still sees value in antivirus software for the Mac.
"We have removed the KnowledgeBase article because it was old and inaccurate," an Apple spokesman said in an e-mailed statement. "The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box. However, since no system can be 100% immune from every threat, running antivirus software may offer additional protection."
The move underscores Apple's commitment to marketing claims made on its Web site that "Mac OS X isn't plagued by constant attacks from viruses and malware" because the operating system was "designed with security in mind."
It may also reflect a desire to remove a possible source of legal ammunition should someone decide to sue Apple for overstating the security of its products.
Apple has been dealing with legal challenges to its marketing claims recently. The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority banned two iPhone 3G television ads, in August and November, because it deemed the ads to be misleading.
Responding to consumer complaints, the agency concluded in its ruling last month that the iPhone 3G was not "really fast" in the context shown by Apple's ad.
"Although we noted the on-screen text disclaimer, 'network performance will vary by location,' we considered that the visuals, in conjunction with the repeated use of the claim 'really fast,' were likely to lead viewers to believe that the device actually operated at or near to the speeds shown in the ad," the agency's November adjudication ruling says. "Because we understood that it did not, we concluded that the ad was likely to mislead."
Apple also was sued in October, along with AT&T, for misrepresenting the "speed, strength, and performance of the 3G-bandwidth network" that supports Apple's iPhone 3G.
In its reply (appended to the scan of the complaint), Apple defends its marketing claims as allowable exaggeration, or "puffing," as Apple's attorneys characterize it.
"[T]he alleged deceptive statements were such that no reasonable person in the Plaintiff's position could have reasonably relied on or misunderstood Apple's statements as claims of fact," Apple's reply states.
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Apple is so concerned about PR...they are willing to back-step and feed the incorrect idea that Mac users don't need Anti-virus...quite sad.
Too bad that Apple's own Mac OS X Security Configuration Guide (PDF) states the following on page 135...
I guess that is old and inaccurate too... =)About Antivirus Tools
Installing antivirus tools helps prevent infection of your computer by viruses, and help prevent your computer from becoming a host for spreading viruses to other
computers. These tools quickly identify suspicious content and compare them against known malicious content.In addition to using antivirus tools, you should develop computer usage habits that are not prone to virus infection. For example, don’t download or open content you didn’t specifically request, and never open a file sent to you by someone you don’t know. For more information about securely using email, see “Email, Chat, and Other Online Communication Guidelines” on page 152.
When you use antivirus tools, make sure you have the latest virus definition files. The protection provided by your antivirus tool depends on the quality of your virus definition files. If your antivirus program supports it, enable automatic downloading of virus definitions.
For a list of antivirus tools, see the Macintosh Products Guide at guide.apple.com.
I guess those Mac OS X servers that were attacked via PHP and herded into a botnet didn't need anti-virus either...eh?
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