Disable Flash

Now is the time to disable or uninstall Flash!

In the previous decade Flash was a vital player in the push towards web 2.0 dynamic, animated content. However, with its many vulnerabilities and the rise of more secure (or least less exploited) competing platforms such as HTML5, it is time to uninstall Flash. According to the 2016 Global Threat Intelligence Report by NTT “all of the top 10 vulnerabilities targeted by exploit kits during 2015 are related to Adobe Flash” (exploit kits are tools that hackers often use to attack computers).

Many security-conscious people have held on to Flash despite knowing the risk, simply because some web services (such as Spotify) were only available if you have Flash. But now that even Spotify has released a HTML5 client, the last holdouts are making the move. Now is the time to disable and/or uninstall Flash!

• Remove Flash with Adobe’s Uninstaller (note the links for browser-based removal as well)
• Read about Brian Krebs’ month without flash.

For an in depth look at your internet health, come visit WCTC and sign up for the IT Student Center’s Network Security Health Checkup!