Hackers Attack Java Users And Oracle's Reputation

Oracle's reputation has taken a hit after they issued a critical update to their Java software following reports of further security flaws discovered in the last few days. So far devices running on Mac OS X, Linux or Windows all appear to be vulnerable to attack.

Java is widely used on the web and computers as well as other devices like mobile phones so this latest security flaw comes as another setback following reports hackers are exploiting the flaws to attack computers.

It is used so that web developers can make sites accessible from browsers running on Microsoft Windows or Apple iOS. Java, which is installed on hundreds of millions of devices around the world, is a computer language that enables programmers to write software that will run on virtually any type of computer.

Fixing Issue High Priority For Reputation Management

Computer users access Java applets from website browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. The flaw is deemed so serious the US Department of Homeland Security has advised people to stop using Java software.

"This vulnerability is being attacked in the wild, and is reported to be incorporated into exploit kits," the department's Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) said in a notice on its website. "We are currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem."

The recommended solution was to disable Java. Computer security experts also said computer users should disable those Java modules to protect themselves from attack.

Oracle's Reputation Management Team Remaining Positive

Security experts said the risk of attack is currently high because developers of several popular tools known as exploit kits that criminals use to attack computers have added software that allows hackers to exploit the newly discovered bug in Java to attack computers.

A reputation management spokeswoman for Oracle said she could not immediately comment on the matter but it is probably safe to say that all Oracle's teams will be working hard to resolve the problem with their reputation management staff maintaining a positive outlook.