IDC: 76% of IT Decision Makers Say Mac Is More Secure Than Other Platforms
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Apple has long promoted its Mac and iOS device lineups as more secure than other platforms, thanks to their control over both hardware and software. A new survey from IDC shows that a huge majority of IT decision-makers (ITDMs) agree.
IDC conducted an online survey of ITDMs in the United States and Canada in July 2023. They asked participants about their views on security, as well as the importance of securing computer endpoints. Respondents were from a mix of companies employing 500 employees or more across multiple industries.
The ITDMs surveyed provide support for a mix of computer operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS. The survey participants select, purchase, or deploy security software for
their company or manage the people who do so.
IDC’s report, which has been highlighted on Apple’s Enterprise webpage, says 76% of IT decision-makers believe that the Mac platform is more secure than other computing platforms.
The report reveals that 47% of the companies surveyed indicated that they plan on buying more Macs for their IT department due to their belief that Macs are more secure. Meanwhile, 36% say the top reason why companies are buying more Macs is that they are easier to deploy and manage.
Security is one of our main pillars of value at Inter. We chose Mac because of their robust security features and streamlined ecosystem, which collectively reduced our IT workloads.Guilherme Ximenes, Chief Technology Officer for Inter
The macOS operating system and the Mac hardware combine to provide several security features that make the combo attractive to enterprise customers. This includes Touch ID which is safeguarded by Apple silicon’s Secure Enclave, which encrypts and protects the passcode that safeguards the Touch ID data, Apple’s device management APIs, Apple’s endpoint detection APIs, and much more.
Macs are equipped with Secure Boot, which ensures that only the cryptographically certified version of macOS is launched when the Mac starts up, as well as Signed System Volume, which offers protection for the integrity of macOS while it runs.
macOS also offers better malware control, thanks to its multi-layered security when running third-party apps. Apple reviews and certifies every app that is available in the Mac App Store, and companies can lock down the machine to forbid apps from outside sources.
Even for Mac software offered by third-party developers from outside of the Mac App Store, Apple requires developers to submit their apps to Apple’s notary service, which scans the software for malware. Meanwhile, Gatekeeper is built-in to macOS and checks an app’s notarization, preventing unsigned apps from running on the machine.
macOS also includes antimalware protection, called XProtect, which blocks and deletes any known malicious applications.
There are several other advantages to using macOS, as Apple services like iCloud and iMessage use end-to-end encryption, protecting sensitive data and conversations with little to no effort on the part of users or IT. Apple also generally provides security patches and full software updates on a regular basis at no cost.
