“Once again, flaws in Java are creating big holes that hackers exploit to victimize users and, even worse, sabotage or spy on many of the computers that run key business processes at utilities, banks, hospitals, and government agencies,” Galen Gruman reports for InfoWorld. “Enough already. Wake up and smell the coffee: Client-side Java needs to go, and fast. Even if the current bugs can be fixed, there will be more.”
“Apple’s response was to deprecate Java in OS X Lion so it was no longer installed as part of the operating system,” Gruman reports. “But when an app needs Java, users get a prompt to download and install it. And many popular apps do, such as Adobe’s Creative Suite and even Symantec Anti-Virus. Oh, the irony that an anti-malware app requires the use of one of the biggest malware conduits to function!”
Gruman reports, “Apple had the right idea but didn’t go far enough. It should prevent Java from ever running in OS X. And Microsoft should do the same in Windows. Apple did that from the get-go in iOS, and few people noticed. The Metro (aka Modern) part of Windows 8 also doesn’t support Java, which is a partial step in the right direction. Even the Java-based Android OS won’t run Java apps or Web plug-ins. Websites that still use Java, such as some banks, telcos, and airlines, will quickly adjust once more operating systems block it, just as websites have largely done after Apple blocked Flash in iOS.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
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