Oracle has been under a lot of heat in recent months over security. Researchers, hackers and users have revealed virtually infinite number of security vulnerabilities in Java. The company seems to be putting in a sizable effort to render Java secure. To that end, Oracle has dished out a major security update, patching 42 vulnerabilities.
Over the past few months, Oracle hasn’t exactly been able to keep up with the sheer number of security loopholes that have been discovered in Java. The company did roll out many updates to patch some of them but there still are a lot more, which means that using Java is somewhat of a risk.
However, with the new patch which fixes some 42 vulnerabilities, Oracle is claiming that it has been able to patch ‘the vast majority’ of the most critical security vulnerabilities in the software.
One of the key features in the new patch is that it will tweak the default settings of the software so that different sites won’t be able to force browsers to run Java applets unless they are digitally signed. Users, however, can override this bar by manually allowing such applets to run.
While Oracle seems to be trying very hard to extend the lifeline of Java, it may take even more than this to keep Java in the mainstream. With the likes of U.S. Department of Homeland Security deeming the software as a security risk, Oracle will need to go the extra mile to ensure Java security and convince the world that it is still a safe option.
Courtesy: Reuters
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