[thelist] Re: thelist ActiveX Security (was: disable Flash)
George Dillon
evolt at georgedillon.com
Wed May 9 03:12:13 CDT 2001
Mark Groen wrote:
> > ...Active X controls ... set to prompt... sites that I am not familiar
> > with, I always click NO...
John Dowdell rejoindered:
> check which ActiveX Controls are already installed
> assume that the default collection with your OS is safe
> Summary: Well-distributed plugins and controls need to restrict
> security breaches, or they won't be well-distributed anymore
Thanks for that reassurance, John. Your explanation - clear and
well-informed as ever - has induced me to rethink my own position vis-a-vis
Flash/ActiveX. I used to do exactly as Mark describes, chucking the monster
Flash out with the bathwater of ActiveX, but I really think I should
experience the web as others do, so...
Obvious question: how do I check which ActiveX Controls are already
installed and where they're from/what they do? Is there some built-in
ActiveX analyser/checker in the OS or (... he hesitates to even say it ...)
does anyone know of a (... pause ...) Freeware app which can do this?
(Yes, I know, I really ought to pay for it, but I'm an unreconstructed
cheap-skate ;)
OTOH I'm not sure I'm willing to trust the default set of ActiveX as
implicitly as you say. M$ have issued numerous patches to ActiveX controls
for potential security holes - which hardly makes one feel safe with what
one's got.
TIA
George
<tip type="QuickTime">
Problems installing QuickTime using the default installer? Try the
stand-alone installer. This link (correct as of 9/May/2001) will take you
direct to the stand-alone installer for 4.1.2:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/support/
</tip>
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