2 min

Tags in this article

, , , ,

Apple’s head of software has reported that the amount of malware targeting the Mac operating system is unacceptable and it’s the reason why iOS is a more closed operating system. Craig Federighi, the senior VP of Software Engineering, made these comments on Wednesday, during the Epic Games v Apple hearing.

The case is about a dispute stemming from app store policies the iPhone maker introduced on iOS. Epic called for alternative platforms to be a part of the OS. This will give large developers the freedom to bypass the 30% sales tax imposed by Apple.

Apple’s defence

The Mac maker says that having the alternatives on the app store will jeopardize the security of the system. Federighi pointed out that the macOS system, which has options for users to install software from various sources but is now attacked regularly.

He said that for iOS, the company aspired to create a more secure system and added that all indications show that the company has succeeded in doing so. Federighi claimed that Apple found and removed about 130 different types of malware on Mac in 2020. The malware had infected hundreds of thousands of systems.

Analogies

Federighi compared the numbers to that of the iPhone, which the company claims were found to have only three kinds of malware in 2020. He opened up about family members finding malware on their Macs but emphasized that the devices could still be safely used.

He contrasted Macs and iPhones by comparing the levels of safety the company thinks people want on their devices. The Mac is a car that you can drive wherever you want and have a level of responsibility in how you do that. With iOS, the company wants to create something that even children can operate safely. Federighi called them ‘really different products.’