Mac Security: Update Flash Player 15, Office 11, Java 7 Now

Golly gosh gee whiz, people, if you haven’t updated Flash Player 15, Office 11 and/or Java 7 in awhile, you really should get busy with the updates, because Mac security issues need some patch love and there’s plenty go ’round.

And, update Windows if you’ve got that (more info below the fold).

• Adobe Flash Player 15.0.0.189 (download)

— Multiple Stability and Security Fixes

— Mountains of other stuff that only developers care about

• Java 7 Update 71 (download)

— Security and stability improvements

— Other changes that only devs care much about

• Office for Mac 2011 14.4.5 (download)

— Fixes critical issues and also helps to improve security.

Not the end of the world, but Mac security isn’t quite as effortless as it once was.

Mac Security? We Have Problems Not
Lastly, you may have heard about a group of Russian hackers who have been using a previously unknown Windows vulnerability (aka Sandworm), perhaps since 2009, to break into sensitive NATO, Polish and Ukrainian servers and infrastructure. Well, Microsoft has issued a series of patches and, if you have Windows machines, you really owe it to yourself to download and apply Microsoft’s latest patches.

Why bother, you don’t have secrets that the Russians are interested in, right? Actually, now that the hackers everywhere know about Sandworm, hackers everywhere will be using Sandworm to hack everything and anything they can.

Interestingly, Windows XP is not affected by Sandworm.

As always, keep your Macs and PCs patched and up-to-date…

What’s your take?