Old Versions of Java and Silverlight Will be Blocked in Internet Explorer

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The security of web browsing is an important task to Microsoft. The company has recently released a series of security updates for Internet Explorer focused on blocking outdated versions of different software frameworks.
internet explorer blocks silverlight
Outdated ActiveX control blocking
Many Active X controls are not updated automatically and this can pose a threat to your computer’s security. Out-of-date controls might have security flaws and there are many malicious programs that exploit exactly these weak points. For this reason, Internet Explorer now blocks out-of-date ActiveX controls.

Outdated Silverlight blocking

Internet Explorer can now block out-of-date versions of Silverlight, as well. In other words, if you are on a Web page that is trying to load an outdated version of SIlverlight, you will get a message on the screen telling you that Silverlight was blocked because it was out of date. This is how the blocking notice appears:

Silverlight was blocked because it is out of date and needs to be updated

internet explorer blocks silverlight update

Outdated Java blocking

This blocking feature is also available for outdated versions of Java such as:

  • Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE) 1.4, everything below (but not including) update 43
  • J2SE 5.0, everything below (but not including) update 75
  • Java SE 6, everything below (but not including) update 85
  • Java SE 7, everything below (but not including) update 71
  • Java SE 8, everything below (but not including) update 25

Security Update for Flash Player

This security update is available for Internet Explorer 10 and 11 on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, Windows  Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2. For more information about the vulnerabilities, you can check the Adobe Security bulletin here .

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS14-065

This security update has managed to solve seventeen vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The most severe of these vulnerabilities involved remote code execution risks. This means that if you visit a site using remote code execution software, the attacker can also have user rights. However, it appears the risk is lower for the accounts that have fewer user rights on the system. Nevertheless, this security update is a critical one, so make sure you install it as soon as possible.

How to update

Of course, the security patches will be automatically updated for those who have automatic updating enabled. But those who have disabled this option need to check for updates manually and then install these security updates.

Sometimes, updates create new problems, but servers are more affected than clients, therefore it is better to enable automatic updating for Windows Clients. In this manner, you get the patch right after its release.  Sometimes users forget to update, so by enabling automatic updating, you make sure your system is up-to-date.

Microsoft also issues a full security update ISO every month. Administrators can download this ISO which contains all the updates in one place. The disadvantage is that Microsoft may post the ISO a few days after the official launch of the patch.

READ ALSO: Microsoft Updates Xbox Video App for Windows With MKV Support

More about the topics: Internet Explorer Issues, windows updates