Macs have long had the reputation of being "safer" than Windows PCs, with users believing that Apple machines are impervious to cybercriminals plotting malware attacks. [But the reality is not so clear-cut. Data shows that both platforms are sufficiently vulnerable to security threats.

According to the latest State of Malware Report from information security firm Malwarebytes, in 2019, the average Mac faced more malware attacks than the average PC for the first time ever.

Not only did the overall prevalence of threats against Macs increase significantly in 2019, but the number of attacks per Mac was almost double that of PCs.

One possible explanation for the perception that Macs are more secure than Windows PCs lies in another number: Windows-based machines have long dominated the PC market, and it was only in 2018 that Macs surpassed 10% of the global user share. For cybercriminals looking to make the biggest gains, attacks on Windows PCs have retained a higher value.

Another factor, as security expert and software developer Charles Edge explains, is that Apple's closed platform limits how developers interact with the operating system, whereas Windows generally gives developers more flexibility.

However, Edge notes that in recent years Windows has closed elements of its platform, moving closer to Apple's security.

"For a while, surely the answer would have been that Macs are more secure," he said. But these days, consumers can benefit from the best security practices each platform copies from the other."

The bottom line is this: both Macs and PCs have flaws and vulnerabilities, albeit with some differences. For example, cybersecurity firm Kaspersky notes that Windows requires more aggressive security upkeep, while Apple is less aggressive in applying security updates and patches.

No matter which operating system you use, don't be fooled by false security awareness. Privacy settings and proper digital hygiene should be applied across all platforms, and Edge points out that users have fairly fine-grained control over these options.

"The more knowledge you have about these settings as a consumer of a device," he says, "the more you can make your device easier to use while keeping it safe.

The following are security considerations for both Mac and Windows PCs.