Security issues 3.2 version under Leopard 10.5.8?

How save is the use of DevonAgent Pro 3.2 under Leopard?

Should Java be disabled?

I’m using Powerbooks, so I can’t upgrade.

Java is an older programming language currently owned by Oracle. It has been subject to security issues. I have little or no use for it, and have switched it off in Safari and in DEVONagent Pro. In DEVONagent, uncheck the option for Java in Preferences > Web, if you wish to disable it.

However, don’t worry as much about JavaScript, which is not Java. I enable that, as I haven’t run into problems with it.

Thanks.

How the switching off will affect the search results?

Few Web sites nowadays use Java. Switching off Java will have little probability of missing important information for the most part. If you are using filters for special purpose sites and those sites do use Java, e.g. to supply links for video files, they wouldn’t be available. But I can’t think of any cases where switching off Java would have made my searches less useful.

I’m planing to use an old mac mini G4 with 10.4.11 or 10.5.8 as an remote research server only. The most trojan and malware issues in the past had to do with java.

With 10.5.8 i will able to use up to 3.2

Also I’m not interested in media content, only text and pdf. A additional virus scanning before transferring them to my devonthink database maybe would add additional security.

Any hint how to transfer the search results safe to my work system? Some “malware firewall” ?

Personally, I don’t bother with antivirus software for the Mac. There really are not any serious real world virus worries for Macs. Antivirus software can use a lot of the computer’s resources, and some such software actually causes stability problems. I do activate the built-in firewall.

Trojan or “malware” software does exist, that could affect Mac users. But OS X is protective by calling new software to the attention of the user at the first launch attempt, so the user can decide whether the app is one that was deliberately downloaded from a trusted source, or not.

In my opinion, the biggest risk of malware faced by Mac users would be downloading pirated software (applications, music, videos), which can sometimes include malware code. I don’t do that. It would be at a minimum unethical, and probably illegal to do so, so introducing malware such as keystroke watching to steal login information would be poetic justice.

In more than 10 years of capturing data from the Web to my DEVONthink databases, often using DEVONagent, I’ve never encountered a problem related to a virus or trojan. Perhaps two or three times, I’ve gotten the OS X message asking whether I wanted to launch an unknown application. I don’t do it. (Mountain Lion will even offer to show the Web site that was the source of the download.)