Re: java and activex problems

anon wrote:

> Is there some setting which will protect my computer from bad things
> executing and being able to click on java and javascript and activex
> routines?

No.  If you configure sufficiently loosely and insecure to let all of
the daffy things which you run into on the internet surfing at large do
whatever they want to do with IE, you will be configured too insecurely.

There are a number of remedies, the most important of which is to not
use such an insecure browser as IE which is so integrated with its
insecure operating system.

If you are going to use IE, you should configure it generally rather
tight, which means that lots of things won't operate.  I use 4 different
security settings, restricted which is totally restricted, internet
which is very tight about scripts, intranet which is more relaxed, and
trusted which is totally relaxed.  Things like OE are configured to run
as restricted.  General surfing is as internet of course and rather
restricted.

When I need to loosen for a site, I consider the site, and I do not
loosen for all sites which need insecurity to perform properly.  Many
major sites are in bed with untrustworthy advertisers.  So, many times I
choose to not let a scripted operation run, or I examine the page's
source to determine if I want to let the script run.  If I do, then I
selectively configure that site to be in the intranet security class
instead of internet.

In fact, I think that some sites are configured so that you need to be
more insecure for the gizmos so that their advertisers will be happy
with being able to do sneaky things.

Only very trusted sites such as Microsoft's are allowed to be trusted
sites.

The other thing I do is run Opera 9, which is more compliantly and
securely advanced than IE and many pages are rendered much better.

Here is a demonstration

Try your favorite browser on the Acid2 test.
http://webstandards.org/act/acid2/test.html

The intro page is back here http://webstandards.org/act/acid2/  Acid2
Browser Test


-- 
Mike Easter
kibitzer, not SC admin