Before its Thursday patch, an exploit that took advantage of the Java security flaws had been included in the widely used Blackhole cybercriminal software kit as well as the Metasploit penetration testing toolset.

FORBES: Oracle's Java Security Woes Mount As Researchers Spot A Bug In Its Critical Bug Fix

To do this I will point you to the excellent guide to disabling Java by security journalist Brian Krebs.

FORBES: Java Flaw Puts Millions Of Windows And Mac Users At Risk

For Windows users out there, I point you to the excellent guide to disabling Java by security journalist Brian Krebs.

FORBES: Apple Makes OS X Safer By Removing Java