Security of Flash 11

Adobe Flash has struggled over the last few years to conquer a bad security reputation which, combined with ubiquity, as made it one of the more problematic components on the typical computer.

Flash 11, announced this past week, continues Adobe's work in tightening up the security of the product. The new version adds a private browsing mode, like those available in all web major browsers now, and a Flash control panel for mobile versions. ('Mobile versions' in this context means Android, and the control panel is available for Android Honeycomb, version 3.0).

But the more significant features will probably be those less visible to the user. Flash 11 apps will be able to open SSL socket connections so that their communications aren't completely open for all to see. There will also be a more secure random number generator, one that can be used for secure programming.

Finally—and I mean finally—there will be a 64-bit version of Flash which brings with it some side benefits in security.

Flash's biggest problem in the near and medium term is not security, but the fact that major platforms are rejecting it.Apple has forbidden Flash on iOS and Microsoft won't allow it on Metro.