(Practically speaking, getting something to work across platforms is rarely easy.) The JVM handles memory management and anything else that the application needs, and runs it inside a sandbox that isolates the Java application from your operating system. Theoretically, a developer can write a Java program to run inside the virtual machine, and it will run without modification on any platform-Mac, Windows, Linux, or whatever is running a valid JVM. That means that Java applications are designed to run inside a Java Virtual Machine installed on your Mac. It’s a complete application runtime environment. (I also have some advice on isolating Flash.) If you plan to keep Java, make sure that you update it as soon as possible. But I can’t overstate the risk: Nearly all recent Mac malware attacks rely on exploiting Java or Flash in your Web browser. Removing Java will be problematic for some people, especially those who use Macs at work and isolating it isn’t simple. I don’t make this recommendation lightly. But due to changes in the way Java works on Macs and the recent rise in Java-based security threats, I’m altering my advice: You should do everything you can to remove Java from your Mac or, if that isn’t possible, to isolate it to the fullest extent possible.

With the news that some Apple, Facebook, and Twitter employees’ Macs were hacked, and Apple and Oracle’s subsequent software patches, it’s time to revisit the question of whether Java can be used securely.Īfter the Flashback malware attack that occurred in the summer of 2012, I discussed the risks and offered some advice about the safest way to use Java.

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