Java 8 Update 281

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Oracle’s Critical Patch Update Advisory for January 2021 includes an entry for Java. There’s a single security vulnerability in Java 8 Update 271 and, presumably, in earlier versions as well.

The risk of using an unpatched version of Java depends on how you use it. If it’s only used to run specific, business-related software, the risk is low. By far the biggest risk is Java code that arrives on your computer by way of compromised web sites, or in email.

Java’s newer, built-in security features make it less of a risk than in years past, but risk remains. As a rule, it’s best to keep Java up to date.

If Java is installed on your Windows computer, you’ll see an entry for it in the list of installed software in the Control Panel or Settings. You should also see an applet in the Control Panel for Java, which you can use to both check which version is installed, and update it if necessary.

To get to the Control Panel in Windows 10, click the Start button, then start typing “control panel”. You should see it in the search results as you type. Click the search result to get there.

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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