Protecting Your Computer from Active X

ActiveX controls are the add ons that allow you to see animation on a web site. They also help with installing the Microsoft security updates and other functions. If a website requires ActiveX for any of its features, you will get a messages asking if you want to install the program. That is if you are using Internet Explorer.

If you get the message from a specific site, make sure the site tells you what you need Active X for. The site should also show details about the page. Internet Explorer will stop the site from using ActiveX if it is going to be used in an unsafe manner.

How would a website use Active X in a manner that can harm you computer ? They can make the computer malfunction and they can monitor the web sites you visit and it can collect your personal information. It can also generate pop-ups and install a code in perfectly good Active X controls.

Microsoft recommends that you only install Active X if the website has told you its details and the details about the publisher of the specific Active X control. If you do not feel comfortable about sharing your information with the site, do not download it. Don't download it even if you trust the site if it is not absolutely necessary for you to do want you want on the site.

How to determine what is and want is not a safe site. Here are a few rules to follow. There are plenty of sites out there that look like the real thing, but are in actuality, spoofs or copies of the actual site. The creators of the site can actually make the address in the address bar look like the real thing too.

Microsoft recommends using Internet Explorer 8. It has special features to help you detect fake sites and protect you from viruses and malware.

Take a close look at the address. Is the name of the site spelled correctly or is one of the letters missing? This is a common trick among internet thieves. They create a site with just a small spelling error and most people don't realize it. They go to the site, download Active X because they think it is a site they can trust and the trouble starts.

You can delete and Active X control once you are done with the web site. Of course, if it was not a legitimate site, damage could have already been done. You cannot, however, delete or uninstall any Active X components that came pre- installed on the computer, but you can disable them.

To delete the Active X controls, open up Internet Explorer and go to tools then Manage Add-ons. Go to show and click on Downloaded Controls. The Active X controls that you have downloaded will appear. Click on the one you want to delete and then click on More Information. Click on Remove. Do the same for any other Active X controls you want to get rid of.

Sources:

www.microsoft.com/protect/terms/activex.aspx
www.microsoft.com/protect/fraud/phishing/spoof.aspx