O.K. I'm dumb; how do you disable Java in outlook express?
I have no idea.
Thanks for any help!
73
Lowell W8QIY
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob, K8LR" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 3:39 PM
Subject: Homeland Security says we should disable JAVA!
> FYI!
>
> After reading these, I'm disabling Java for now!
>
> Bob, K8LR, [log in to unmask]
>
> Department of Homeland Security advises computer users to disable Java
> because of security bug
> Published Sat, 12 Jan 2013 03:43:54 -0500
> Yahoo! News
> WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is advising people
> to
> temporarily disable the Java software on their computers to avoid
> potential
> hacking attacks.
> The recommendation came in an advisory issued late Thursday, following up
> on
> concerns raised by computer security experts.
> Experts believe hackers have found a flaw in Java's coding that creates an
> opening for criminal activity and other high-tech mischief.
> Java is a widely used technical language that allows computer programmers
> to
> write a wide variety of Internet applications and other software programs
> that
> can run on just about any computer's operating system.
> Oracle Corp. bought Java as part of a $7.3 billion acquisition of the
> software's creator, Sun Microsystems, in 2010.
> Oracle, which is based in Redwood Shores, Calif., had no immediate comment
> late Friday.
>
> U.S. warns on Java software as security concerns escalate
> Published Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:53:52 -0500
> (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security urged computer users
> to
> disable Oracle Corp's Java software, amplifying security experts' prior
> warnings
> to hundreds of millions of consumers and businesses that use it to surf
> the
> Web.
> Hackers have figured out how to exploit Java to install malicious software
> enabling them to commit crimes ranging from identity theft to making an
> infected
> computer part of an ad-hoc network of computers that can be used to attack
> websites.
> "We are currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem," the
> Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team said
> in
> a posting
> on its website late on Thursday.
> "This and previous Java vulnerabilities have been widely targeted by
> attackers, and new Java vulnerabilities are likely to be discovered," the
> agency said.
> "To defend against this and future Java vulnerabilities, disable Java in
> Web
> browsers."
> Oracle declined on Friday to comment on the warning.
> Java is a computer language that enables programmers to write software
> utilizing just one set of code that will run on virtually any type of
> computer, including
> ones that use Microsoft Corp's Windows, Apple Inc's OS X and Linux, an
> operating system widely employed by corporations.
> Computer users access Java programs through modules, or plug-ins, that run
> Java software on top of browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox.
> The U.S. government's warning on Java came after security experts warned
> on
> Thursday of the newly discovered flaw.
> It is relatively rare for government agencies to advise computer users to
> completely disable software due to a security bug, particularly in the
> case
> of
> widely used programs such as Java. They typically recommend taking steps
> to
> mitigate the risk of attack while manufacturers prepare an update, or hold
> off on publicizing the problem until an update is prepared.
> In September, the German government advised the public to temporarily stop
> using Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser to give it time to patch a
> security
> vulnerability that opened it to attacks.
> Java is so widely used that the software has become a prime target for
> hackers. Last year Oracle's Java surpassed Adobe Systems Inc's Reader
> software as
> the most frequently attacked piece of software, according to security
> software maker Kaspersky Lab.
> Java was responsible for 50 percent of all cyber attacks last year in
> which
> hackers broke into computers by exploiting software bugs, according
> Kaspersky.
> That was followed by Adobe Reader, which was involved in 28 percent of all
> incidents. Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer were involved in about
> 3
> percent of incidents, according to the survey.
> The Department of Homeland Security said attackers could trick targets
> into
> visiting malicious websites that would infect their PCs with software
> capable
> of exploiting the bug in Java.
> It said an attacker could also infect a legitimate website by uploading
> malicious software that would infect machines of computer users who trust
> that site
> because they have previously visited it without experiencing any problems.
> They said developers of several popular tools, known as exploit kits,
> which
> criminal hackers use to attack PCs, have added software that allows
> hackers
> to exploit the newly discovered bug in Java to attack computers.
> Security experts have been scrutinizing the safety of Java since a similar
> security scare in August, which prompted some of them to advise using the
> software
> only on an as-needed basis.
> At the time they advised businesses to allow their workers to use Java
> browser plug-ins only when prompted for permission by trusted programs
> such
> as GoToMeeting,
> a Web-based collaboration tool from Citrix Systems Inc.
> Java suffered another setback in October when Apple began removing old
> versions of the software from Internet browsers of Mac computers when its
> customers
> installed new versions of its OS X operating system. Apple did not provide
> a
> reason for the change and both companies declined to comment at the time.
> ?
> Adam Gowdiak, a researcher with Polish security firm Security
> Explorations,
> told Reuters he believes that Oracle fails to properly test its software
> fixes
> for security flaws. "It's definitely safer for users to stay away from
> Java
> 'til Oracle starts taking security seriously," he said.
> (Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Dan Grebler)
>
>
> Bob, K8LR, [log in to unmask]
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 2013.0.2890 / Virus Database: 2638/6027 - Release Date: 01/12/13
>
|
