Your Java Software May be a Security Risk

You know the importance of keeping your antivirus software up-to-date, you may even be cautious with your Web browsing in order to avoid security risks. It does not seem fair, but even if you are responsible with your PC usage, hackers can still find vulnerabilities with applications installed on your PC. This is the recent case with the popular Web-browser plug-in Java.

This new threat with Java was discovered on January 10. The US-CERT group immediately issued an alert pointing out a vulnerability with Java 7 Update 10 and earlier versions. Two days later Oracle, the distributer of Java, released a statement confirming the vulnerability. Oracle also clarified the alert from US-CERT by saying that only one version of Java is vulnerable. In an official statement, Oracle gave the following information:

Oracle is aware of a flaw in Java software integrated with web browsers. The flaw is limited to JDK7. It does not exist in other releases of Java, and does not affect Java applications directly installed and running on servers, desktops, laptops, and other devices. A fix will be available shortly.

Software vulnerabilities can be very serious because they allow a hacker to remotely implement a code to your PC from a website that you visit. These codes are often malicious and can do major damage to your computer. The Java code has been identified as a Trojan horse called Mal/JavaJar-B. The vast majority of malicious codes are caught early and antivirus programs are prepared to catch them. What makes this vulnerability particularly bad is that this virus is a zero-day attack virus, which means that it was not discovered until after the software was released. A zero-day attack virus makes it so that software developers have to react with a patch after the code has already gone public and caused damage.

This Java Trojan horse is still too new for us to fully report on the specifics of how it can harm your PC. But we do know this about the nature of hackers and software vulnerabilities; once a vulnerability is known in the hacking community, hackers will be like sharks that are drawn to blood and they will unleash a feeding frenzy of viruses to your PC. The worst viruses will be able to deactivate your computer, extract your sensitive data, and multiply to your other computers and devices connected through a network.

Windows, Unix, and Linux systems have been hit the hard by this Java Trojan horse. So far, Apple's OS X has been unaffected, but this does not mean that Apple products are immune because Java is a cross-platform program. Across the board, many software manufacturers like Microsoft and Apple are responding to the Java virus by creating security patches and updates for their users.

Even though Java does not come preinstalled with most new platforms, it is a very popular application used on many websites. If you are even a casual web browser, then you probably have Java on your computer. Java does have a control panel that you can use to adjust the security settings with; by default the security settings are set at Medium, you will want to change the security levels to High or Very High. Unless you need Java for mission critical tasks, you may want to disable the Java Web browser plug-in altogether until the coast is clear. Oracle has already released an official patch that you can download, be sure to install this patch if you are planning on using Java in the near future.

The Department of Homeland Security has taken notice of the Java virus and issued an alert recommending that all computer users disable Java on their Web browsers. Even if you install the new security patch from Oracle, the DHS recommends that you hold off using Java. The DHS says that, "This and previous Java vulnerabilities have been widely targeted by attackers, and new Java vulnerabilities are likely to be discovered. To defend against this and future Java vulnerabilities, consider disabling Java in Web browsers until adequate updates are available."

We at NetWorthy Systems take all computer threats very seriously. We offer top-of-the-line computer security solutions that will keep your PC protected from Trojan horses like the Mal/JavaJar-B, and other computer viruses, spam, or malware. Contact us today at 877-760-7310 for a free virus scan for your entire network. If we scan your network and find the Java virus, we will then be able present you with several solutions that will eliminate it.

Be sure to ask us about our Unified Threat Management solution, the strongest defense against cyber-attack. An additional security measure that you can take is to sign up for NetWorthy Systems's remote monitoring service. Remote monitoring guarantees that your security patches and antivirus programs will be updated as fast as possible. Our remote monitoring service will also catch and take care of viruses on your network before they have a chance to spread and do damage.

Call NetWorthy Systems at 877-760-7310 and let us strengthen your networks threat defense system in order to keep your company's invaluable data safe from any cyber-attack.