Re: Help With School Report: Are Macs Safer Than PCs From Viruses?

In article <Gzjkf.13$g87.456@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
"G. Isenhart" <gisenhart@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> In article <clund-E435CB.12592003122005@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> C Lund <clund@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > > Well, ok. Most people mean "malware" when they say "virus". B)
> > > and that's what bugs me, "malware" is existing software that has been
> > > "malformed" to behave improperly. a virus is something entirely
> > > different. as is a trojan or a worm. people need to use the correct
> > > terminology or not use it at all.
> > No, the "mal" in "malware" comes from the word "malevolent". Malware
> > is simply malevolent software - and that includes viruses, trojans,
> > spyware, and worms.
> yes, but the "ware" portion indicates its benign software altered to
> become "malicious" "ware",

No. The "ware" only indicates executable code. It says nothing about
the type of code.

> Viruses are a separate software "class",
> specifically designed to harm, replicate, repeat.

So are trojans, worms, and to a lesser degree, spyware.

> I can see how the
> definition has become munged over time, but it's still the wrong usage.

I have never heard your definition before.

> > No. It has been secure against whatever has been thrown at it so far,
> > but that does not mean it's impossible to write an actual virus for OS
> > X. If nothing else, the various concept viruses we've seen the past
> > few years proves that it is possible.
> yes, but until it happens, my assessment is correct.

Only if you say OS X is immune to Windows viruses / malware.

--
C Lund, www.notam02.no/~clund
.

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