Computer Security & Viruses/java?

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Question
hi james,
 not too sure if this is the right place to ask this question, but is it necessary to have java?  with so much java related malware is it worth having?  i know java is needed for animations and etc, but is there a security purpose for having it?  i plan on doing some online shopping, do websites require java because of security reasons?  thank you

Answer

Computing Power for th
Much has already been written about it, and lots of opinions regarding the potential security risks of using it.
Basically, if you have Java-runtime environment on your system, Java applets needed for videos, games and other programs will automatically kick in, shutting down after you leave the site, log out or shutdown.

http://bit.ly/fH250j
www.webanswers.com/technology
snehalkhilla's post: "When you use a Java-compatible Web browser, you can safely download Java applets without fear of viral infection or malicious intent. Java achieves this protection by confining a Java program to the Java execution environment and not allowing it access to other parts of the computer...

http://bit.ly/7ZD3BY
askbobrankin.com
"If you encounter a website with an embedded Java app, and you don't have Java installed (or enabled), you'll just see an empty space where the program should be displaying..."

James Filmer

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