Regarding updates

Our users also have admin rights, but you can manage their Flash and Java updates centrally with Casper. Because a couple of mission-critical systems in use run Java applets in a browser, I've been pushing out the latest Java updates, as well as writing scripts to help ensure that my users don't get pop-ups or see the plug-in as disabled.

To help make sure that I've got some time to push out the latest updates, I've written a script for managing Apple's XProtect's Java browser plug-in settings:

https://github.com/rtrouton/rtrouton_scripts/tree/master/rtrouton_scripts/xprotect_re-enable_java_6_and_7

Another person took the same idea and applied it to Flash:

https://github.com/rtrouton/rtrouton_scripts/tree/master/rtrouton_scripts/xprotect_re-enable_adobe_flash

In the case of updating Flash, it may be easiest to get the Flash update that's designed for distribution as it has a standard installer package embedded inside Adobe's AIR-based installer.

I've written a number of other scripts, to help make sure that Java stays enabled and that Safari isn't blocking it. All my Java-related posts should be accessible via this link:

http://derflounder.wordpress.com/category/java/

I highly recommend the CCA course. These issues are really trivial once you're really using the Casper suite. We've got users that are admin and users that are not. Honestly, from a management perspective it matters relatively little.

Thank you Rtrouton, I'll look at the scripts!

@Chris_Hafner, eventually I'll go down that road and take the certifications.