Former OLPC Security Chief to Make Macs Safer?

Apple has snapped up former One Laptop Per Child Foundation security chief Ivan Krstic.

With the sales of Macs increasing, the average Apple user’s fall back claim of, “well, we get fewer viruses” is definitely in danger. The more Macs there are out there, the faster Mac-specific viruses will start cropping up and it looks like Apple, along with the help of Krstic are determined to ensure the Mac’s reputation for being virtually virus-free intact.

According to ZDNet, Krstic designed the OLPC’s Bitfrost system, which he says prevents any program from damaging the computer, stealing files or  spying on the user. Instead of blocking specific viruses, Bitfrost isolates every program on the computer in a separate "virtual operating system," preventing any program from damaging the computer, stealing files, or spying on the user. Viruses are left isolated and impotent, unable to execute their code. “This defeats the entire purpose of writing a virus,” says Krstic.

Krstic wrote about the move to Apple on his personal blog but revealed little details about the decision to work for Apple. Ivan explains that he left OLPC a year ago to pursue “a new adventure.” Despite the fact that he was admitted to an MIT graduate program, he did not accept the place at MIT and said he felt a brief update about what he was doing with his life was in order. After brief descriptions about his own research and his roll in this year’s PyCon conference, Krstic finishes the post with the announcement that he has found the new adventure he has sought for the last year.

“But perhaps most importantly, I have — at long last — found my new adventure. After a great deal of deliberation, I moved to California and joined the local fruit vendor.

Today was my first day on the job, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

No word from Apple on the hiring of this bright spark.