U.S. Army Begins Using Macs

Despite cost and compatibility issues, the Army is integrating Macs for the sake of security.

Apple’s nice-guy image, chic hardware and premium prices may make its products look ill-suited for a branch of the armed services, but the United States Army has found something to like about the brand: security. According to Forbes, the Army is adopting Macs in an attempt to further harden their networks to attack.

The move toward Macs has actually been in motion since 2005, when an officer suggested more diversity in the types of computers employed would help thwart hackers. Two major hurdles – cost and compatibility – had kept Apple computers out of the running in the past. While cost hasn’t changed, programmers are starting to fix compatibility issues for Macs, like making them work with the Common Access Cards, a widespread military technology.

Since much of Apple’s much-touted security has been chalked up to the brand’s obscurity in the past, skeptics wonder whether the Army’s purchase of Macs will make any difference. Charlie Miller, the man behind the first iPhone hack, contends that Macs are “behind the curve” on security, pointing to data that shows Apple needing five times more security patches than Microsoft over the past year. He also believes that any network is only as safe as its weakest link, meaning that if PCs really are more vulnerable, adding Macs by their side will make no difference to hackers.

Currently, only about 20,000 of the Army’s 700,000 computers are Macs, with about 1,000 being added with every bi-annual buying cycle.