Is mac more secure than windows?

Answer 1

Only in terms of general hacker focus, yes.

However, many Pwn2Own competitions have demonstrated the ability to hack a Mac in 20 seconds flat. Also, Apple are excruciatingly slow to patch flaws in Mac OSX, so if Mac OSX takes off in a big way, expect serious security implications.

If you are really looking for secure, a linux-based operating system may be the best way to go. Ubuntu 10.04 in particular is very useable as an operating system, and is relatively light on system resources (in comparison to windows vista/7, idk bout OSX)

Answer 2

Macs are generally safer on the internet than PCs.

Despite some misconceptions, Macs are not impervious to viruses. Any malware that was specifically designed to run on Mac OS X can infect such a system. Macs are just like any other computer in that they execute code. (Please see the Related Link below for more information about keeping Macs secure, as well as information about Mac-specific threats.) Macs have always had higher kernel security than Windows, and historically it's easier to get a user to execute code on a Windows machine than Mac. However, modern Windows systems have increased their security significantly.

That said, Macs are typically safer than PCs, but not because they're impervious to viruses. A major factor here is the sheer numbers of Windows machines versus Mac machines on the Internet. Windows dominates the OS market, and so if malware writers want to increase their odds of infecting as many machines as possible, they typically target Windows.

Buying a Mac might decrease your odds of infection on the Internet in some way, but ultimately, best practices are the key defense, as the weakest link in defense tends to be the user of the system. Any Mac will be secure if used properly.