Web survey of more than 350 computer users held by Sophos — an IT security and control firm — has revealed that 93 percent believe Apple Mac OS will be increasingly targeted by cybercriminals in the future. However, half of those polled said they did not believe the problem would be as great as that faced by users of Microsoft Windows.
The survey results show that Apple Mac users are becoming less optimistic about the likelihood of their computers being attacked in future. A similar survey two years ago by Sophos, found only 79 percent believed that Macintosh computers would become more commonly targeted by hackers.

"Although we have seen the first attempts by criminal gangs to make money through Mac OS X malware, the fact of that matter is that there is only a tiny number of viruses and Trojan horses for Apple Macs when compared to Windows PCs. It seems unlikely that the Mac virus problem will ever be as big as the Windows one," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Yes, the Macintosh malware threat is a concern — but it’s important to put it in perspective. Sophos’s podcast discusses the history and evolution of Macintosh malware, helping IT administrators better understand the problem and protect their systems."

Sophos web poll held on 29 January-7 February 2008 with 355 respondents. This chart shows the survey results:

www.sophos.com

Sophos Survey Results

A web poll of more than 350 computer users, conducted by Sophos in the shadow of the discovery of the first financially motivated malware for Mac OS X, has revealed that 93% believe Apple Macintoshes will be targeted more in future.

In January 2008, Sophos published its annual Security Threat Report, which described how financially motivated hackers had targeted Apple Mac computers with malware for the first time. You can find the report here:
Sophos Security Threat Report reveals cybercriminals moving beyond Microsoft