Update: Firefox, Adobe Reader, and Java

We are continuing to work on fixing Adobe Reader and Java plugins in Firefox. Thanks to alert reader Mark L., I am posting some additional information specifically about Campus gradebooks and Java.
The new version of Firefox is disabling certain versions of Java by default because Java has some widely-reported security issues. (See my previous post for more info.) This means that when you open your Campus gradebook in Firefox, you get a screen that warns you "This plugin has security vulnerabilities."

You can override this by clicking on the link that says "Click here to activate the Java(TM) Platform SE 7 U plugin."

When you click on the link, you'll be greeted by a screen asking if you are sure you want to run this application. Click Run. Your gradebook will open shortly.

After we get the Adobe Reader issue fixed, we'll work on updating the Java plugin so that you'll no longer have to go through this process. In the meantime, please feel free to continue using your gradebook with this workaround.

New Firefox has plugins disabled

Yesterday we deployed a new version of Firefox in order to fix the problem with Advanced Search not working in Infinite Campus. Unfortunately, many of the plugins to Firefox are disabled in the new version because they are old. We are working to restore the plugin functionality to Firefox while making sure we are maintaining secure versions. (Some of the plugins, especially Adobe Acrobat and Java, have had many security issues in recent versions.)

One workaround for reading Adobe Acrobat files (PDFs), is to right-click on the file, save it on your computer, and then open the file in Acrobat Reader. This opens the file in the actual Acrobat Reader application instead of using the web browser plugin.

Homeland security says to disable Java...but we need to post grades

The US Department of Homeland Security strongly advises that Java be disabled on all computers due to a security flaw. This is one of those situations where it's really difficult to find a balance between security and usability. The district computers need to run Java, because it is required for Infinite Campus gradebooks (as well as many other programs). At the end of the semester, entering grades is obviously a really high priority. Disabling Java until a solution is found really isn't an option, unless we were to postpone the grading window.

I would suggest that Java be disabled on any computers that don't require it. I've disabled it on my home computer for the time being, and I encourage others to do the same.

Full details of the vulnerability, and instructions for disabling Java, can be found on the CERT page, which will also post updates as available.