Apple Officially Cuts Java from Computers in Response to Security Risks

The widely-used programming language system Java has officially been dropped by Apple (News - Alert) Inc. The company is now removing old versions of the Oracle Corporation software from Internet browsers on all Apple products.

Apple used to include Java with installations of Mac OS X, but the latest update to its Mac operating system will be Java-free.

The move was announced today on Apple’s Mac OS X support site, with a note to customers that anyone wishing to use Java must now obtain the software directly from Oracle (News - Alert). 


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Neither Apple Inc. nor Oracle Corp. has provided any comment on the change, and Apple has yet to come out with a reason for dropping Java--although, Apple’s history with Java hasn’t always been a positive one.

Just two years ago, both companies had reportedly come to an agreement that at some point in the future, Apple would cease to provide Java software to Mac customers, giving Oracle sole responsibility for doing so. In the two years since that decision was made, nothing of the sort has happened, and neither company provided a hint to when that day would come.

Well, apparently that day is today.

It is thought that the reason the transition is being made now has something to do with the recent Java security scare, though at this point that is only conjecture.

The scare occurred in late August when European security experts reported the discovery of bugs found in Java, and cautioned the public that hackers could potentially launch attacks in large part thanks to such bugs.

Since then, experts have warned that Java should be used only if needed, which has made many users of both Macs and Microsoft (News - Alert) Windows PCs wary.

Oracle has not responded to the move by Apple, but days after the information came out pertaining to Java flaws, the company did note that an update to Java would be released to correct for the reported flaws.

Unfortunately for Oracle, it was found on Friday that two new bugs have since been discovered in Java by a researcher with the Polish security firm Security Explorations, Adam Gowdiak.

Gowdiak has said that the bugs in Java continue to mark Java as a security risk for computers, and should be used sparingly, if not removed completely to lower risks for attack.