Apple Needs a Doctor : Bitten by JAVA - 2

1.    The Flashback fiasco,as discussed in brief here, was the catalyst for one of the most meaningful decisions Apple made in order to beef up OS X security ie Removing JAVA. "Flashback both led to Apple removing Java from their default installs, and prompted them to release a dedicated cleanup tool," security researcher (and former security engineer for Obama for America) Ben Hagen told Ars. "When an OS vendor releases a dedicated cleanup tool, you know things are bad.The removal of Java was a very Interesting decision and de facto statement by Apple. Java on user systems has become a notorious vector for exploitation; with new, remotely executable vulnerabilities coming out several times last year," Hagen said. "Removing Java both simplifies Apple’s position and provides a safer default state for its users."[Source : http://arstechnica.com/].

2.    Another key decision taken by apple apart from disowning JAVA was endevor to signed security model for apps ie restrict the origin of third-party apps installed on the system, therefore protecting the user from inadvertently installing apps from malicious or unknown sources.Called Gatekeeper, this feature required Apple's developer ecosystem to either sign their apps with a registered certificate—holding them at a higher level of responsibility for when things go haywire—or selling their wares through the Mac App Store and giving Apple its 30 percent cut. [Source : http://arstechnica.com/].

3.   Java is a veri popular program and is used by millions of users worldwide in Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems and in mobile and television devices. It is this popularity that has made it a favorite target of the hackers.So today when we cannot surf without enabling JAVA.....apples decision is indeed a tough step....for those of you who do not realise the importance of JAVA...just try surfing the web disabling JAVA scripts in your browser...u will be surprised you will be prompted at every step to ensure a successful loading of most of the web pages....In fact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security advised computer users to temporarily disable or uninstall Oracle Corp's Java software, stating that a serious flaw in the software could make the system vulnerable to hacking.The warning came in an advisory posted on the department’s website amid the escalating fears and warnings from the net security experts about a flaw in Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 7 and earlier versions that allows the hackers to install malicious software and malware on computers.The vulnerability is so dangerous that the Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team urged the people to stop using the software immediately to mitigate damage.Source : [http://www.ibtimes.com/]

4.   So...did u just start thinking of disabling JAVA?????