When it comes to security, Apple Computer"s report card reads like that of a gifted child: high marks for achievement, but needs to communicate better with others.
In general, the Mac operating system has seen far fewer bugs than its Windows counterpart. But some say a recent vulnerability demonstrates that the notoriously tight-lipped company must communicate more openly on security issues and move more quickly when it comes to plugging holes. "I think there"s room for improvement with their response speed on problems with their own code," said Chris Adams, a Mac user and system administrator for San Diego"s Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a research center that"s played a part in training five Nobel Prize-winning scientists. "The general pattern is complete silence for months and then a terse announcement when the update is released."
Adams said Apple has done a pretty good job of updating the operating system to fill holes found in various Unix components. But what is needed, Adams and others contend, is more dialogue about what the company is doing with regard to security. "At the very least, they need to communicate with the people who report these problems, so it"s obvious that work is happening," Adams said in an e-mail interview. "Depending on the problem, it may also be a good idea to announce a workaround if a fix won"t be available quickly."