Microsoft report shows massive spike in Java exploits

Filed under: Security, Browsers

Move over, Flash and PDF -- there's a new contender in the race for the "browser plug-in exploit" title belt! According to the numbers Microsoft has crunched, Java appears to have locked up 2010's number one spot.

You don't often see Java's name splashed across the headlines, however, which is why the Microsoft report shocked me a bit. From personal experience on my workbench, I also know that Java is one of the last things the average user bothers to update. Outdated software is a big risk, especially when that software is being exploited as actively as Java is. Just last week, for example, Oracle pushed a massive bundle of 29 patches -- which I'll wager have been ignored by the vast Java-using public. My guess is that the bad guys have figured this out, too.

The good news: unlike Flash, which is needed by most of your favorite video and casual gaming sites, the Java plug-in is required far less often -- so you probably won't notice a big difference if you disable or uninstall it.

[via ZDnet]

Microsoft report shows massive spike in Java exploits originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/10/18/microsoft-report-shows-massive-spike-in-java-exploits/

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