By defending a closed iOS system, Apple admits that there is a lot of malware on the Mac

Apple’s chief software engineering officer has taken a stand in the Epic Games lawsuit. Writing to everyone’s surprise about macOS ‘security flaws, he decided to praise the benefits of iOS that are more closed off.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s vice president in charge of software engineering, spoke in the lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games. When asked about several topics directly related to this case, he seized the opportunity to call out a key point in Apple’s defense: the closed and completely controlled ecosystem of the App Store is a fundamental guarantee of security for users. Except that, to everyone’s surprise, he did not click on competing ecosystems to defend this point of view. In fact, macOS attacked.

In response to a judge’s question about the availability of multiple app stores in macOS, and the fact that the same is not allowed on iOS, Craig Federighi said:Yes, this is an option we made on a Mac and it also explains why so many vulnerabilities are regularly exploited on the Mac. IOS has set much higher security standards to protect users. Macs don’t meet these requirements today. And this despite the fact that Mac users download fewer programs and are exposed to a base of attackers who have far less economic motive than they are in iOS.“.

“If you take the security technologies and rules that are present on the Mac and apply them to the iOS ecosystem, with all of these devices, and all that value, they will quickly be squashed and the situation will be much worse than what we actually suffer from on the Mac. […] As I said, today we have a level of malware on Mac which is unacceptable and it is much worse than the level of iOSHe added during his testimony in the tavern. “

Two Bones, Two Philosophies

The experience offered by macOS and iOS is very different from the point of view of software and freedoms offered to Mac users is much greater than that of iOS in that only the App Store allows installing apps – and even more so at a time when jailbreaking the iPhone is no longer a common practice. On the Mac, although Apple strongly advises users to limit their installs to software from its own store, it is entirely possible to download and install software from countless sources on the Internet.

Craig Federighi explains that the risk from this greater openness depends on the users. “If you use it properly, it feels like a car. When you know how to drive and carefully follow all the rules of the road, you are generally safe.“Before admitting, people around him who weren’t taken sufficiently vigilant have been exposed to macOS malware,” he noted, before admitting.iOS is a completely different product. It’s a system that you can put in the hands of children knowing they will be safe.He finally says to justify the fact that Apple keeps its customers locked in an ecosystem where it can only distribute apps and run the payment system.

In this long-awaited experience, which can amend paperwork on a 30% commission base requested by Apple and ban iOS for alternative stores and third-party payment platforms, the latest certifications will take place at the start next week. Tim Cook, president of Apple, is due to come to the bar on Friday to present his arguments.