What is this Java icon in System Preference?

[YsoSerious]

My son installed Minecraft on our Mac and install a bunch of Java crap for it to run including whatever hacks he installed. I know that Java has some have viruses or malware. Now in System Preferences there is a Java icon on the bottom. Image below. Is there anything I can do to check to see if my system is not being hacked?

 

[opinio]

My son installed Minecraft on our Mac and install a bunch of Java crap for it to run including whatever hacks he installed. I know that Java has some have viruses or malware. Now in System Preferences there is a Java icon on the bottom. Image below. Is there anything I can do to check to see if my system is not being hacked?

Image

The java icon is supposed to be there in sys preferences now. Flash should also be there if you load it.

Apple use to include it in the OS but now it is stand alone so when you load it it goes to sys pref.

 

[Che Castro]

I don't have java installed , I hear bad things about it

 

[uniq]

The system preferences pane is how you now update Java. By the way having Java itself installed is generally fine. Many apps rely on it. However it should be safe to block the Java browser plugin(s):

Safari:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5241

You check if it is installed on chrome via typing the following address into your address bar:
chrome://plugins/

 

[Reason077]

My son installed Minecraft on our Mac and install a bunch of Java crap for it to run including whatever hacks he installed. I know that Java has some have viruses or malware. Now in System Preferences there is a Java icon on the bottom. Image below. Is there anything I can do to check to see if my system is not being hacked?

The security issues with Java relate to it running in the browser, which is why Apple now disable it in the browser by default. Just make sure "Enable Java content in the browser" is switched off in the Java control panel, if you're worried about this.

Having Java installed does not in itself expose you to viruses or malware. The security risk of running a Java app such as Minecraft is no greater than for any other desktop application.