Mac OS among least prone to attack. Data on more than 6,000 hacker groups reaching back to 1995, from mi2g’s SIPS (Security Intelligence Products & Systems) database produced a report on software vulnerabilities. The report showed, 1,162 new software vulnerabilities were discovered during the first 10 months of 2002, including vulnerabilities discovered in operating systems, server software, and third-party applications. Of these 1,162 vulnerablilites, fewer than 25 were attributable to the Macintosh operating system.
In contrast, Microsoft’s Windows operating system accounted for more than 500 vulnerabilities discovered affecting Windows operating systems. More than 200 vulnerabilities were discovered that affected the Linux operating system, according to the information released by mi2g, based in London.
The report also cited that 2002 was the worst year on record for digital attacks, with almost 58,000 attacks taking place during the first 10 months of the year. This is a 54 percent increase from 2001.