Spend time around Mac users, and you will eventually hear one of them mention the immunity myth. If you’re not familiar with it, allow me to explain; the myth states that Macs are, because of the way in which the OSX is built, immune to viruses. Not less susceptible, but actually immune.

I think it’s time we burst that particular theory bubble.

I know as well as you do that anything is hackable, given the resources and enough time to do so. To suggest that a Mac is more secure is one thing – arguably, in a fresh state, OSX would beat Windows in terms of its base security level. But when you start to surf the web and allow the internet to connect to your Mac, the chances are that something will eventually slip onto the machine.

Admittedly, there are a lot of secure sites out there, and that reassuring “HTTPS” is getting more and more common. Sites for your bank (HSBC have authenticator hardware being sent out), for your mobile bill (www.o2.co.uk is a good example) are all reliable and familiar, but unfamiliar sites should make Mac users just as wary as those on Windows, or Linux.

Speaking of Linux, a few people will argue that the reason Macs are immune is that hackers don’t see them as worth their time, given the small install base when compared to that of Windows. But just because the install base is small doesn’t mean that they’re less likely to be hacked. A Windows machine will, on average, cost you less than an OSX device. For this reason, surely Mac users would have more in their accounts? If anything, Mac users are generally designers, creative types, who have the disposable income to afford a pricey computer, so for those aiming for bank details, it’s statistically the more logical choice.

OSX Lion adds FileVault 2, which is a more efficient version of its predecessor, allowing users to encrypt their files more rapidly and easily than before. But again, none of this is impervious – everything can be hacked, and although most people would assume that this defeatist outlook means antivirus software has no use and we should simply sit back and take the hits, it doesn’t. Back up your files, encrypt them, sweep for malware, no matter what operating system you’re on. Mac users are not immune, and those who think they are may one day get a rather unpleasant wake up call.