Wired Looks At OS X Security, Open-Source Foundation

Mac OS X and its open-source underpinnings received a fairly serious look in a recent Wired article. The article, entitled "Mac: Ripe for a Hack," talk about the advantages and disadvantages of open-source software, particularly related to the idea of security.

While the article does argue that security holes in open-source software tend to get plugged faster, Appleis less-than-friendly approach to the open-source world may lead to Apple and OS X missing some of the benefits of "traditional" open-source software. According to the Wired article:

"There is a popular argument that the more an operating system, or any software, is exposed to inspection by all players -- including the bad guys and troublemakers -- the more likely it is that problems will be detected and corrected before widespread damage can be inflicted," said Chuck Wade, head of security research at CommerceNet.

The article goes on to say:

Some open-source developers have been angered by Appleis seeming willingness to take code from developers for use in OS X at the same time that the company is refusing to share the code used in other Apple products.

If Apple doesnit give back to the community, then it may not get the communityis assistance in fixing security holes in OS X, developers said. And many also wondered if Apple would continue to work with open-source developers at all, now that OS X has been released.

Security concerns and open-source software are concerns brought to the Mac side of the computer universe with the release of OS X. It will be interesting to see how this story plays out. You can find the full article at the Wired Web site.