Homeland Security Warns to Disable Java in Computers-Truth!

Homeland Security Warns to Disable Java in Computers-Truth!

 
Summary of eRumor:
Warnings issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have gone viral on the Internet and Social Media. They warn computer users of vulnerabilities in the latest version of Java that could open their computers to attacks from hackers.
The Truth:
The warning is real, according to a January 11, 2013 article by the the information technology reporting service ZDNet.

The article said that the DHS is urging computer users to disable or uninstall “Java software amid escalating concerns over a serious, exploitable vulnerability.”
The article went on to say that a weakness in Java version 7 had been discovered by computer hackers to allow them to remotely open up computers to malware and malicious software. This could increase the chances of “identity theft, or the unauthorized participation in a botnet that could bring down networks or be used to carry out denial-of-service attacks against Web sites.”
Many of the agencies who reported this on Friday said that Oracle Corp, the maker of Java, was not available for comment.  A company spokesperson told reporters that they are preparing an update to address the flaw, according to a January 12, 2013 article released by Reuters.
Oracle held true to their word and uploaded a never version of Java to their website later that weekend.

Computer users may check the Oracle Java site for the latest update (Version 7-11) by clicking this link.
updated 01/13/13