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Homeland Security warns Java still poses risks after security fix

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has reiterated its warning to Java users that the widely used Web plug-in still poses risks for Internet users, even after Oracle patched the software to prevent hackers from exploiting a zero-day vulnerability.

It comes as some security experts are warning that the new software -- Java 7 (Update 11), which was released on Sunday -- may not actually protect against hackers attempting to remotely execute code on user machines.

This code, security experts warn, could be used to acquire personal information and steal identities, or subscribe machines to 'botnets,' which can then be used to hit networks and Web sites with denial-of-service attacks.