Apple pushes security update without user intervention (1 Viewer)

I'm vaguely apprehensive about this:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/23/us-apple-cybersecurity-idUSKBN0K108W20141223

I had to update ours manually.

My two machines updated automatically. My concern is not the occasional critical security patch, it is what (if anything) comes next. Changing application or operating systems features/behavior, forcing more U2 on me , etc. All without specific approval.

And of course the more obvious concern that if Apple can do it, what about the possibility of others hijacking the system and doing who knows what.

I would greatly prefer this type of thing having an opt-out option where instead of the patch being applied without my approval, some sort of critical update needed warning flag would pop up suggesting I need to immediately install the patch. I doubt we will ever see that though, after all, Apple knows what is best for us.

I was just talking with a friend the other day about moving all my day to day stuff to a virtual machine for portability and security reasons. I may step up my time table for that plan.

-Keith

I don't know yet if our machines got the update; hopefully so.I think this is good for the great majority of home users and even SOHO users. And I increasingly count myself among them. To date, people are more at risk of their own lack of attention to detail than to the OS vendors system being hijacked. I assume this system being hacked is of comparable likelihood to Windows Update server system or Apple's AppStore updates being hacked: I've not heard of that happening yet.For the dedicated enthusiasts and professionally managed systems, there should be an "off" switch. But it should be buried and difficult to toggle for the greater benefit of all.

This particular security patch will only update "automatically" if you have automatic updates turned on. Otherwise, you have to manually install it. But even with the manual install, it does NOT require your password. VERY VERY bad decision by Apple. A password should ALWAYS be required. PERIOD.

Mark