✗ The myth everyone repeats
Apple Macintosh computers are immune to computer viruses and malware, unlike Windows PCs.
✓ What is actually true
macOS has been targeted by malware including Flashback, OSX.Trojan.Gen, and ransomware variants, with major outbreaks affecting hundreds of thousands of Macs. The perception of immunity stems from Windows' 95%+ market share during the PC malware era, attackers rationally targeted the largest user base. Modern macOS includes built-in protections (Gatekeeper, XProtect), but these are reactive security measures, not architectural immunity. As Mac market share and value targets have grown, so have focused attacks, proving the security advantage was always market fragmentation, not inherent design.
Reception
The receipts 3 sources
- Flashback Trojan Infected 600,000 MacsPRIMARY
- macOS Security OverviewREFERENCE
- The History of Mac Security IncidentsREFERENCE