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Oracle Releases Fix for Critical Java Security Flaw

It’s been a crazy few days for computer

technicians. The weekend has been filled with news reports about a critical security flaw that was discovered in the popular

Java software (Java 7 Update 10), and everyone from Microsoft and Apple, all the way to the US

Department of Homeland Security were urging users to disable or uninstall Java to protect their systems from being compromised.

I was honestly a bit skeptical at first… the media does have a tendency to sensationalize otherwise mundane news stories in order to boost ratings. I reached out to my network of experts from around the world, and many of them were skeptical as well. Some said it was just a ploy by Microsoft to get users to start using Silverlight instead of Java. Others said that this type of thing happens at least twice a year, and the only difference this time was that it was getting more media coverage. Still others agreed with the media and said that there was a real danger that should be addressed. After hours of research I was starting to buy

into the hype. I immediately started laying out plans to reach out to all my customers and, like everyone else, urge them to disable Java on their systems until this security hole was addressed. I was just

about to start sending out emails and offering discounted remote support sessions to help users protect themselves when I heard the news I’d been hoping for all day: “Java 7 Update 11 is available for download!”

Fixing the Java Security Problem

So the good news is, Oracle has released an update to fix the security flaws. The bad news? Everyone has to update Java. You could wait for Java to update itself… but we highly recommend doing this manually so you can be sure it’s taken care of right away. Below are the

steps to follow to complete the task.

Uninstall all existing versions of Java

Add Remove Programs 1.Click the Start Menu and select “Control Panel”

2.Under the

“Programs” heading, click “Uninstall a Program” (If you aren’t using Category View, select “Programs and Features”)
3.Scroll through the programs to find any installed versions of Java. They may be named something like “Java 7 Update 10” or “JavaFX 2.1.0”.
4.Highlight the entry for Java and click “Uninstall” at the top of the list. Follow the prompts to complete the process.
5.You may have more than one version of Java installed. It is important that you remove all of them.

Reinstall the latest version of Java (Java 7 Update 11)

McAfee Security Scan Plus 1.Open your web browser and navigate to www.java.com.
2.Click the large red “Free Java Download” button.
3.In Internet Explorer, click “Run” on the small pop-up at the bottom of the page. In Chrome/Firefox, download and then run

the file.
4.Follow the on-screen prompts. The installer will ask you if you would also like to install a 3rd Party Software… usually the Ask.com Toolbar or McAfee Security Scan Plus (see image). You don’t want these. Uncheck the box and continue on with the installation.
5.When the installer says the installation is complete, restart any open browser windows.

That’s it! You’re up to date!

Don’t want to mess with it?

You don’t have to! PC Pit Crew is offering discounted Remote Support sessions to help users eliminate the Java vulnerability on their systems and keep their computers safe. The sessions are quick, easy, and only cost $23.00! To request a remote support session, simply fill out the request form at pcpitcrewsb.com/services, indicate in the form when you’re available for the session, and you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to proceed as well as a phone call at the scheduled time. Payment for the Remote Support session is required up front by Paypal or Credit Card. Credit card payments are processed by Square, Inc. For more information about this or any other service, please feel free to Contact Us!