Apple has further distanced itself from Oracle's Java software framework with a Mac update released on Wednesday that removes a Java plugin from all Mac-compatible Web browsers.
Wednesday's update is the latest example of Apple distancing itself from Java. Apple stopped including pre-installed versions of Java in OS X and instead gives users the option to install the framework. More recently, Apple issued an update that turns off Java in the browser when users haven't used it recently.
The move follows advice from a variety of sources, Ars included, that users who don't regularly use Java should uninstall it from their systems. That will decrease the attack surface hackers target when looking for software vulnerabilities that allow them to install keyloggers and other malicious software on the computers they target. Ars recognizes this advice has proved controversial in the past, particularly to developers whose livelihoods depend on the wide availability of the Java platform, so readers are encouraged to think and decide for themselves.
