Mac owners urged to apply fix

Apple has issued Mac OS X 10.5.3, the latest update to the Leopard operating system, to improve its stability, performance and security.

Security experts have called on Mac owners to make sure they update their systems as soon as possible to avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime.

"Even if you have been keeping up to date with the latest patches on your Apple Mac, this update to Mac OS X 10.5.3 can still mean an eye-watering 420MB download per computer," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.

"However, businesses and home users would be wise to upgrade their Mac systems to avoid leaving themselves open to potential hack attacks in the future," Cluley continued.

Macs are not typically targets of cybercrime as PCs based on the Windows operating system are far more common. However, there have been some pieces of malware written for the Mac OS in the past.

Also, the popularity of the iPhone, which uses a version of Mac OS X, may see cybercriminals increasingly turning their attention to Apple's operating systems.

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www.sophos.com