Java is one of the hottest things to happen to the Internet. It's a programming language used by Web developers to add animation and other special effects to their pages. You can even use Java to create full-blown applications such as spreadsheets. But in order to see these effects or access Java-built programs, you have to employ a Java applet that runs on your computer. And yes, that applet could be harbouring a virus.
That possibility is a very big concern to the programming language's developer, Java Soft, a business unit of Sun Microsystems. "We worry a lot about security," acknowledges Benjamin Renaud, a staff engineer for Java Soft. "But Java is probably more secure than most things on the Internet."
Built into Java is a "security manager" that prevents Java applets from performing any of a number of illegal acts, such as writing to your computer's hard disk or accessing a network server through a fire wall. That's the same sort of protection that a high-quality antivirus utility would provide on your system. And according to Renaud, the security manager makes Java safer than other browser plug-ins that also work by downloading programs off the Web.
He's probably right. But as one representative of Java Soft said, "There are never any guarantees." Many computer security experts are therefore recommending that Web surfers disable Java in their browsers.
There's another reason to consider disabling Java: Web developers are head over heels in love with it, but often use it only as eye candy rather than delivering what you really want to get from their sites. That can bring your Web access to its knees if you're dialling in.
If you have this problem, you can selectively disable Java support in your browser, depending on how you're getting to the Net, what sites you want to see, and how much time you have to spare.
- Judy Heim