Apple OS “really vulnerable”, claims Kaspersky Lab CTO
Apple has invited security company Kaspersky Lab to advise it on the security of its Mac OS - according to the security provider's chief technology officer. — Speaking exclusively to Computing, Kaspersky CTO Nikolai Grebennikov …
Context & Ripple Effects
Warnings about Mac security have accumulated across the corpus: unpatched Mac flaws and malware concerns appeared in 2006, while Apple’s expanding audience was framed as a larger target in 2007. Kaspersky had already positioned itself in the market with Mac-focused protection, and an April 2012 report challenged the platform’s immunity narrative.
Apple’s invitation gives Kaspersky Lab a direct advisory role rather than leaving the debate solely to outside security commentary. The story’s broad pickup across technology outlets also puts Mac security on a wider consumer-tech agenda.
First-order effects
- Apple gains security input from Kaspersky Lab as it assesses the Mac platform, while Kaspersky gains a high-profile validation of its Mac-security expertise.
- Mac users and IT buyers face a more explicit challenge to the assumption that the platform needs less security attention; the CTO’s vulnerability assessment remains Kaspersky’s claim.
Second-order effects
- Kaspersky can reinforce the case for Mac protection products, building on its earlier Mac offering, as Apple’s engagement makes platform security a more visible purchasing consideration.
- Apple’s security posture becomes more exposed to comparison with specialist vendors’ assessments, increasing the importance of how it addresses vulnerabilities and communicates risk.
Third-order effects
- If outside-security collaboration becomes a recurring response, Mac security shifts further from a reputation-led differentiator toward an ongoing contest over patching, threat detection, and third-party protection.
- The larger pattern is that a growing Mac installed base attracts the same security-vendor attention and buyer scrutiny previously associated with more frequently targeted platforms.
The trend: Mac security is moving from an “invulnerable” brand narrative toward a mainstream endpoint-security market shaped by threat research and specialist vendors.