Flash player and security

[MacMan988]

Is having flash player installed on the computer makes any security risks? If flash player is insecure, would the chrome with its built in flash player be more secure than safari with flash installed on my computer? What actions can I take to minimize the security risks when dealing with flash? Thanks in advance!

 

[GGJstudios]

Is having flash player installed on the computer makes any security risks? If flash player is insecure, would the chrome with its built in flash player be more secure than safari with flash installed on my computer? What actions can I take to minimize the security risks when dealing with flash? Thanks in advance!

Flash itself isn't a security risk, but there have been trojans in the past, disguised as Flash updates. Always update apps from trustworthy sources, and not from pop-ups that appear when surfing the web.

For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available. Never install or update Flash from a pop-up on a website. Always go to Adobe's site to get Flash or updates.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Try using the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.) Some have reported better performance with HTML5, while some have reported worse. Try it and find out what works best for you.

Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 12 years ago. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below). 3rd party antivirus apps are not necessary to keep a Mac malware-free, as long as a user practices safe computing, as described in the following link.

​

Read the What security steps should I take? section of the Mac Virus/Malware FAQ for tips on practicing safe computing.

 

[MacMan988]

Flash itself isn't a security risk, but there have been trojans in the past, disguised as Flash updates. Always update apps from trustworthy sources, and not from pop-ups that appear when surfing the web.

For Flash-related issues:

• Find your Flash version and make sure it's the latest version available. Never install or update Flash from a pop-up on a website. Always go to Adobe's site to get Flash or updates.
• Install ClickToFlash (Safari), Flashblock (Firefox) or FlashBlock (Chrome) to control which Flash content plays on websites.
• Try using the YouTube HTML5 Video Player to watch YouTube videos, when available. (May impact fullscreen viewing. See link for details.) Some have reported better performance with HTML5, while some have reported worse. Try it and find out what works best for you.

Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 12 years ago. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below). 3rd party antivirus apps are not necessary to keep a Mac malware-free, as long as a user practices safe computing, as described in the following link.

​

Read the What security steps should I take? section of the Mac Virus/Malware FAQ for tips on practicing safe computing.

Thanks for the information.