You're sort of not safe. Fix it now!

As usual, if I save you money in repair or, *gasp* buying a new computer, donate some of what you saved at http://www.rettsyndrome.com

Flash - AAAAHHHGH!

Flash - that thing you hear so much about updating all the time, has a couple security flaws. People can't magically put stuff on your computer, but there are two exploits in current versions of Flash that allow certain nefarious cyber-ruffians to trick you into loading a Word document with malicious code. Then you're at their mercy.

There are two exploits, CVE-2013-0633 and CVE-2013-0364 that allow this.

Don't worry - I'll save every one of you!

 I have a Mac, so I'm safe, right?

 That statement isn't true, but has historically been the case. Not that Macs are safer, just for the most part weren't as popular, so hackers took little interest in the OS. The explosion of Mac products leaves people open to both new cyber-attacks and cruddy anti-virus software. The bigger names in virus software are often the worst, as they rely on brand image rather than performance. Always look at user reviews of anti-malware software, and not from a site trying to sell you anything.

 Besides, Flash is cross-platform. This means the core of the program is the same, no matter what system you use it on, be it Windows, Linux, OSX or Android.

I Don't Care About Any of That - FIXITFIXITFIXITFIXIT!!!

It's pretty easy; Adobe released an "Emergency update" on Thursday, Feb 7th. Just go to http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/. I strongly recommend UNchecking the McAffee Security software installer. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I've addressed why in a previous post, which you'd do well to read if you want to know why, and what else might be good.

The page should automatically detect what operating system you use, and give you the link to the appropriate software. Download it. Install it. You're done.

To make sure you're on the right version, make sure the version number is at least the following:

For Windows/Mac:  11.5.502.149
For Linux: 11.2.202.262
For Android 4+: 11.1.115.36
Android 3 and earlier: 11.1.115.37

To check your version number and make sure Flash works, click here. There are a ton of other, faster loading pages, but this is from Adobe themselves, and is probably the safest site to bookmark to test your Flash player.

Don't be sore...

Some people have strong feelings about the Flash Player. The truth is, it may not be the most efficient plugin for your system, but it makes the internet work correctly. HTML5 is the alternative, which won't require plugins, but it can't be the future until a standard can be established. Flash is fine overall, and any constantly updated software will occasionally find security flaws. Kudos to Adobe for fixing this one so quickly, though.

Happy internetting! Feel free to send me questions.