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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Monday, July 25, 2005

Hackers Now Aim At Popular Software

A WSJ article proves what I've been saying for a long while now: Popular software is just hacked more often than infrequently-used software:

As computer operating systems get more secure, hackers are increasingly targeting popular applications such as Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes, Real Networks Inc.'s RealPlayer and Web browsers from Microsoft Corp. and the Mozilla Foundation -- and finding more vulnerabilities than ever, a security-research organization said.

More than 422 new Internet security vulnerabilities were discovered in the second quarter, up nearly 11% from the first quarter and up nearly 20% from the year-earlier period, according to the SANS Institute in Bethesda, Md. The institute encourages computer users to make sure their software is updated with the latest patches to protect against vulnerabilities.

The increase indicates that the heightened attention on security in recent years hasn't reversed the growth of software flaws that can let intruders gain control of both home and business computers.

"It's not getting better, it's getting worse," said Alan Paller, SANS's research director.

And this is how we learn that Apple doesn't necessarily design more secure software than Microsoft. In fact, there is absolutely no way to know how Apple would perform if its OS X software was used by 600+ million people rather than just 14 million people. The popularity of iTunes--and its attraction as a target for hackers--should be an interesting test.

[ Posted at 8:56 AM | Permalink ]