Java 8u221 – ten security fixes

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If you still use Java, and particularly if Java is enabled in Internet Explorer, it’s important to keep it up to date. Security vulnerabilities in Java are still a somewhat popular target for malicious hackers and malware purveyors.

If you’re not sure whether Java is even installed on your computer, look for a Java entry in the Windows Control Panel. If you see one, Java is installed. The Java Control Panel has an Update tab that allows you to check for pending updates and install the latest version.

You can check whether Java is enabled in Internet Explorer by using that browser to visit Oracle’s Verify Java Version page.

This is what you should see on the Verify Java Version page if you are using IE and Java is up to date.

Oracle issues quarterly updates for a wide range of software products, and that includes Java. The July 2019 update describes ten security vulnerabilities that are addressed in the latest version of Java, 8 update 221.

About jrivett

Jeff Rivett has worked with and written about computers since the early 1980s. His first computer was an Apple II+, built by his father and heavily customized. Jeff's writing appeared in Computist Magazine in the 1980s, and he created and sold a game utility (Ultimaker 2, reviewed in the December 1983 Washington Apple Pi Journal) to international markets during the same period. Proceeds from writing, software sales, and contract programming gigs paid his way through university, earning him a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) degree at UWO. Jeff went on to work as a programmer, sysadmin, and manager in various industries. There's more on the About page, and on the Jeff Rivett Consulting site.

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