How to defend against ActiveX and other malware exploits- Part I
ActiveX and other malware exploits are a serious enough problem that home PC owners should be aware of all the defensive measures that can be taken. Although a properly updated anti-virus program is one line of defense, it is not sufficient to protect against a constant stream of new threats. So I am going to discuss three other basic approaches. One approach is specific to ActiveX while the other two are more general and apply to all malware.
The first method disables or reduces ActiveX functionality by configuring the security settings in Internet Explorer. A second approach isolates Internet Explorer so that malware infections that enter the browser from the Internet cannot spread into the rest of the system. A third approach involves running with reduced privileges so that the ability of malware to carry out malicious functions is curtailed. Like all security measures, each of these methods results in making the computer more complicated to use or causes loss of convenience or decreased functionality. There’s no free lunch when it comes to security.
The first method has been mentioned In two previous posts, http://tips.vlaurie.com/2006/make-internet-explorer-7-safer/ and http://tips.vlaurie.com/2006/quick-and-easy-way-to-configure-activex-settings-for-ie-7/, where I discussed configuring Internet Explorer security settings to make it safer. The details of the methods mentioned there are at http://surfthenetsafely.com/ieseczone8.htm and at http://surfthenetsafely.com/ie7configure.htm.
Tomorrow I will discuss the more generally applicable approach of putting a wall around Internet Explorer.
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.