Occasionally a message appears in the system tray saying that a Java update is available. I did not configure this myself, as I have only configured Windows Automatic Updates to automatically check for updates and install updates overnight. A friend said this may be a malicious program attempting to gain access to my computer, so I am reluctant to go ahead with the Java update installation. How can I check whether the update is genuine? The computer is running Windows XP SP2 with Norton Internet Security 2007. By the way, what is an ISP?

The message coming from the system tray saying that a Java update is available is most likely genuine, as I also receive these notifications on my own computer. When you install Java, a utility called Java Update is configured to periodically check for Java updates. So, you should be able to safely install the updates which are appearing through the notification. Your computer is running quite comprehensive protection with Norton Internet Security 2007, so this also provides a large degree of protection against any nasties which may be attempting to access your computer.

Should you wish to disable the automatic Java updates, go to the “Start” menu > “Control Panel” and open the “Java” control panel (if the Control Panel is displaying in category view, click the “Switch to Classic View” link). In the Java Control Panel window, click the “Update” tab and untick “Check for Updates Automatically”. Click OK to close and save. If you disable the automatic updating of Java, you can also manually check for Java updates by clicking the “Update Now” button on the “Update” tab in the Java Control Panel.

Regarding your question about the abbreviation ISP, I imagine you are asking because I request that people tell me their ISP when sending questions. ISP stands for Internet Service Provider, and is the business which provides your internet connection. For example, Bigpond and iiNet are two examples of large Australian Internet Service Providers.