There is another Java Zero-Day Exploit in the wild – this one is affecting machines far and wide – even Microsoft machines have become infected!
In an arstechnica.com article dated yesterday – 1st March, 2013 – there are details of yet another Java ZERO-Day exploit – meaning that this exploit affects the latest versions of Java – version 6 Update 41 and version 7 update 15. So even if you are full up-to-date with your Java version – if you run Java plugins in your browsers – you are at risk.
Here is the Article.
Our recommendation is three-fold… if you don’t need Java – uninstall it. If you do need Java – here is how to be a little safer….
- Update Java – use a website like Ninite.com – select the Java update – download their installer to the desktop – run it to install the latest Java
- go into control panels – add/remove programs – remove any OLD versions of Java – you should see one java and one Java x64 if you are running a 64-bit operating system – only the one version if you’re on a 32-bit operating system.
- open control panel – Java – click the “Security” tab in the control panel – UNCHECK “Enable Java content in the browser” – click OK – restart your computer
If you need Java in the browser – choose ONE browser for the website you need Java – use another browser that is NOT your every-day browser… enable Java MANUALLY for that one browser – and only use that Java enabled browser when you need to visit that one or two trusted websites that require the Java plugin.
Lastly – if you are one of these few that uses Java – talk to the people whose website uses Java – ask them to consider re-coding their site using something other than Java!