Analysis: The programming language has become
one of the weakest links in a PC’s and Mac's defenses against external
threats, and is slowly -- and rightly -- being abandoned.
PCWorld - Java, the programming language designed to
make the web fun and interactive,
has become one of the weakest links in a PC’s and Mac's defenses
against external threats. Consider the most recent Java vulnerability, a
weakness currently being exploited by malware distributors: When
Oracle, Java's maker, released an emergency update to fix the software,
security analysts reported that even the hot-off-the-presses code
contains additional vulnerabilities.
But the most recent security problems with Java are far from unique.
Security firm Sophos, for example, blames underlying Java vulnerability
for attacks by the
Flashback malware last April that infected one out of five Macs.
The risks don't outweigh the rewards, security experts say. “I'd say
90 percent of users don't need Java anymore,” says Dominique Karg, the
founder and chief hacking officer of
AlienVault,
a security software company. “I consider myself a ‘power user’ and the
last and only time I realized I had Java installed on my Mac was when I
had to update it.”
If you own a PC you know that nagging feeling of insecurity when
you're asked to update your Windows PC for the umpteenth time. It may
only be moderately disruptive, but it’s a monthly reminder that your
computer, and the personal information contained therein, remains a
target for criminals.
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