Browser Support May Be Needed To Ensure Plugins Are Secure
The majority of browser support experts concur that one of the most frequent risks to your Web browser’s security is the addition of plugins. These are applications that you can add to your browsers to improve browsing and play media directly inside the browser window.
The issue is that as malware has a harder time infiltrating browsers, those attempting to access your information have started taking advantage of opportunities that are easier to access with plugins. These plugins may include Flash, which improves online videos and games, or even tools that block pop-up ads or scripts from running while you browse.
Java is one plugin that has attracted the attention of hackers. Numerous utilities, games, and business applications are powered by this extremely popular programming language and computing platform. Additionally, it appears to have a lot of programming flaws that hackers are taking advantage of.
It is crucial to add updates to your browser as soon as they appear on your computer because the developers of Java do send patches to close these holes whenever they can. But it seems like every time you apply a patch to close one security hole, another one appears.
The most recent patch was distributed on February 19, 2013, but a blog post on FireEye.com on February 28 reported that malware had been found that took advantage of a bug in the most recent release of Java. The blog advises that you deactivate Java up until a patch is released to close this security hole.
It is unknown if the patch for this new threat will be included in the upcoming update, which is scheduled for April 16. Every few months there are new Java updates.
You may not require browser support if Java is disabled.
Go to the Tools menu, which is the gear icon in the top-right corner, and choose “Manage add-ons” to stop Java from running in Internet Explorer.Highlight the entry for the Java plug-in that is published by “Sun Microsystems Inc.” by clicking on “Toolbars and Extensions” in the left pane under Add-on Types. The “Disable” button is located in the bottom right corner.
Navigate to “Add-ons” in the Tools menu of Firefox. Choose “Plugins” from the list on the left, locate the Java plugin, and then click the disable button to the right of it. Copy and paste “chrome://plugins” into the address bar if you’re using Google Chrome, then press Enter. A list of plugins will appear as a result. Locate the Java plugin, then click the link that says “disable” next to it.
If Java is already disabled, you might want to look through the other plugins to see if there are any that you aren’t using or don’t really need. Disable these plugins as well, as any one of them might provide a hacker with access. The likelihood of a security breach decreases as you use less.
Chrome has a setting that lets you choose when to use a plugin if you’re not sure whether you need one. Enter the general menu by clicking on the icon with the three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select “Show advanced settings” after clicking “Settings.” Select “Content settings” from the Privacy section’s menu.Click the circle next to “Click to play” under “Plug-ins.”
This activates the function that prevents plugins from running without your consent by requiring a click. This is also a nice way to stop audio or video files from playing unexpectedly and automatically while you are browsing websites.
If you are unsure of which plugins to disable, you might want to get in touch with a computer tech support business that also provides browser support services by visiting . You can use them to decide which plugins to use and how to optimize your browsing.
