Java problems--real or hyped?

[HALLGATOR]

By going through the Java Control Panel it will be disabled in all browsers.

Site is slow to load but the info is here

[HALLGATOR]

The latest I have found on the Java exploit is in the following article. The newest version is 7 update 11. Keep in mind security experts are very cautious about this fix and with Java's history rightfully so. The best advice, imo, is to leave it disabled unless you need it or do what others have suggested and use one browser where it is disabled all the time for most surfing. With that in mind I would still suggest installing the latest version if you plan to use it. This should automatically remove older versions but it would be best to go into the Control Panel and check after you have done so. If there are any versions other that 7 update 11 unistall them.

Despite Oracle’s emergency fix to patch a serious vulnerability in its widely used Java software, several security experts on Monday advised computer users to minimize using the product, because of fears more flaws will be discovered.

"This is definitely a temporary fix," said Sorin Mustaca, a data security expert with Avira, a German-based company that sells anti-virus software. "If you do a fix under a lot of pressure and very, very fast, then only one thing will happen: more vulnerabilities. So, for me, this is just the rain before the storm. I think it will get worse, it will get much worse."
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Still, Mustaca recommended installing Oracle’s security patch, which is available here: http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp

But once that is done, he advised computer users to disable Java and only switch it on when absolutely necessary for some functions, such as those that handle stock trades and employee payrolls.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/5...puter.html.csp

[Juggernautz]

I haven't had any problems but I updated to the latest version anyways.

Thanks for all the info!

[HALLGATOR]

You're welcome.

Here's some more info from PC Pitstop. This comes from a blog where he is recommending to totally remove Java and only reinstall it if you run across a site that you have to have it. I thought it was worth passing along to help people make up their own minds.

Uninstall Java Now!

The Department of Homeland Security recently recommended that everyone disable Java. We at PC Pitstop will go one step further and recommend that everyone uninstall Java immediately. Here is why Java is such a threat to your computer, security, data and your identity.

First a little history. Back in the late 90′s, Java represented one of the core technologies that brought the web together. Java could run on Linux, Macs, and of course Windows, seamlessly. A developer did not need to create a separate version for each platform, and this simplicity drove a lot of Java’s adoption on the web.

As time has gone on, other technologies such as Flash and now HTML5 have essentially replaced Java as the standard for “web” applications. Every once in a while, we all come upon an old web site that still relies on Java, and that’s how Java gets on our machines.

The problem, and it is a big problem, is that Java has many security holes in it. If you have Java installed on your system, and you browse to a compromised web site, your computer is immediately infected. Let me repeat that. You don’t have to execute any malicious software, the malware enters through the security hole without your consent or knowledge. In the security business, this is defined as an exploit – a compromised web site and a vulnerable computer.

http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2013/0...now/?rob-java=

[orangeblueorangeblue]

You could alternately switch to Chrome which makes you confirm if you want Java to run on any given page.