The latest version of the Mozilla Firefox browser now automatically blocks the problematic Adobe Flash plugin.
The update to the browser came Monday night and comes in the wake of startling news regarding the troublesome plugin.
According to CNN Money, the spyware giant known as the Hacking Team has been able to use Flash to remotely control people's personal computers and even transfer malware onto them. The Hacking Team was reportedly able to pull off their remote malware transfers through two particular codes in Flash.
With the plugin now automatically blocked on all versions of the Mozilla Firefox, users will no longer be able to turn it on personally in order to access any form of Flash content. However, Firefox has said that they will unblock the plugin as soon as it has been proven that it is no longer problematic or vulnerable to possible security breaches, according to The Verge.
Despite the new blockades on the plugin, most users are not likely to experience any drastic change in their web surfing habits. A recent survey of tech companies, conducted by W3 Techs, srevealed that less than 11 percent of websites utilize Flash for functionality purposes. This means that a random user could likely go about their day online without noticing anything different.
In addition to Firefox, Facebook is also taking a stand against Adobe Flash, saying it is time to "announce the end-of-life date" for the plugin, said the company's security chief, Alex Stamos, via his Twitter account.
With the major problems of their Flash plugin now becoming more public than ever, Adobe is said to be in full damage control as they attempt to fix the longstanding issues of the browser plugin. More and more companies have already backed away from Flash over the years and more are likely to follow with Facebook and Firefox making their views on the issue known.
