A security update never truly goes unappreciated.

Following up on recently discovered zero-day Java security holes, Apple releases Java updates for its Mac OS X 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8 operating systems.

The first update, Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 14, stands as a 72.8 megabyte download and offers the following fixes and changes:

- Delivers improved security, reliability, and compatibility by updating Java SE 6 to 1.6.0_41.

The update requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later to install and run.

The second update, Apple Java 2013-002, stands as a 68.3 megabyte download and offers the following fixes and changes:

- Uninstalls the Apple-provided Java applet plug-in from all web browsers. To use applets on a web page, click on the region labeled “Missing plug-in” to go download the latest version of the Java applet plug-in from Oracle.

- Removes the Java Preferences application, which is no longer required to configure applet settings.

The update requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.7 or later to install and run.

The updates can be located, snagged and installed via the Software Update feature built into the Mac OS X operating system.

If you’ve tried the updates and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.