Apple at top of list of targets for Trojans, botnets and hackers for 2011, says McAfee

Apple fans who tout the company's hardware's imperviousness to attack are flat-out wrong, says security firm McAfee, which warns that in 2011, Apple will be right in the cross-hairs of hackers.

McAfee released its 2011 Threat Predictions report today, and listed the top targets for the coming year, with Apple prominent among them. A summary of the report notes:

The list comprises 2010's most buzzed about platforms and services, including Google's Android, Apple's iPhone, foursquare, Google TV and the Mac OS X platform, which are all expected to become major targets for cybercriminals.

McAfee went on to note that in the past, Apple hardware wasn't targeted by hackers, but that 2011 will change all that. Here's what it had to say:

Apple: No longer flying under the radar

Historically, the Mac OS platform has remained relatively unscathed by malicious attackers, but McAfee Labs warns that Mac-targeted malware will continue to increase in sophistication in 2011. The popularity of iPads and iPhones in business environments, combined with the lack of user understanding of proper security for these devices, will increase the risk for data and identity exposure, and will make Apple botnets and Trojans a common occurrence.

Many fans of Apple have long argued that there was something innate about Mac OS X that made it invulnerable to attack. But McAfee clearly believes that's wrong. With popularity comes danger, and if McAfee is to be believed, 2011 will be a bad year for Apple security.