Active X?

[willie]

What is "Active X"? McAfee wants it enabled but what is it?

 

[Ken King]

Set of platform independent technologies developed by Microsoft that enable software components to interact with one another in a networked environment, like the Internet. In addition to adding functionality within the browser (for example, by enabling Microsoft Word to be opened in a browser) Active X components can be exploited by malicious mobile code.

 

[willie]

Set of platform independent technologies developed by Microsoft that enable software components to interact with one another in a networked environment, like the Internet. In addition to adding functionality within the browser (for example, by enabling Microsoft Word to be opened in a browser) Active X components can be exploited by malicious mobile code.

Thanks Ken,
It sounds like a no win situation.

 

[vraiblonde]

It sounds like a no win situation.

McAfee lets you pick and choose which sites you will accept Active X downloads from. I have it set to prompt me, then I can accept it if it's a site I know is okay.

 

[Ken King]

McAffe might want it active to seek out and find any malicous code residing on yuor machnie. Have you inquired the FAQs at McAfee?

 

[willie]

McAffe might want it active to seek out and find any malicous code residing on yuor machnie. Have you inquired the FAQs at McAfee?

Yes, and their answer was vague enough that I wondered about their motives. They did a download into my system last week and since then I keep getting the same emails in my in box over and over. All my email went into "blocked" until I designated them "friends" again. Received emails are NOT saved on the server. Anyway, McAfee says my original download is screwed up by SP2 because of Active X so I disabled it and re loaded.

 

[Tonio]

Set of platform independent technologies developed by Microsoft that enable software components to interact with one another in a networked environment, like the Internet. In addition to adding functionality within the browser (for example, by enabling Microsoft Word to be opened in a browser) Active X components can be exploited by malicious mobile code.

Ken's right. ActiveX, like Internet Explorer and Outlook, has its hooks deep into Windows. I have ActiveX turned off by default when I use IE, except when I give explicit permission for a certain ActiveX component. (I think this is available only on IE 6.) But I prefer Mozilla Firefox, which bypasses ActiveX's vulnerabilities.

 

[tomchamp]

I like Firefox too Tonio. Have you checked out the different Themes. There pretty cool. Also got to get the T-Shirt.