An update released recently removes the Java plugin from all Mac-compatible browsers installed on the system.Apple has said that they are removing old versions of Oracle Corp's Java software from Internet browsers on the computers of its customers when they install the latest update to its Mac operating system.
Apple had previously included Java with installations of Mac OS X. Now Apple has made the latest move in an announcement on its support site. It said that customers need to obtain Java directly from Oracle if they want to access web content written the widely used programming language.
Java is a computer language that enables programmers to write one set of code to run on virtually any type of machine. It is widely used on the Internet so that Web developers can make their sites accessible from multiple browsers running on Macs or Microsoft Windows PCs.Two years ago both companies said they had agreed that Apple would one day stop providing Java software to Mac customers and that would ask Oracle to take on that responsibility. They did not provide a date for that transition.
Apple is implementing that change in the wake of a Java security scare that prompted some security experts to caution computer users to only use Java on an as-needed basis.
Java has been to root cause of a number of malware scares, including the Flashback Trojan that infected an estimated 600,000 Macs back in April. At the time the blame for this attack was viewed by most as an Apple issue. Then, in August, another serious vulnerability found in the platform that put millions of Windows and Mac users at risk from hackers.Most experts agree that unless you absolutely, positively need Java, the best thing that you can do is to disable it. Chances are that you won’t even notice that it’s gone. This update from Apple makes it simple for Apple users to do just that.Some security experts in Europe discovered Java bugs in late August that hackers had exploited to launch attacks. It took Oracle several days to release an update to Java to correct those flaws.According to security experts the removal of Java from Mac browsers reduces the risks of an outside browser based attack.
