In light of more and more ‘drive-by virus’ – malware which is loaded onto your computer just by you visiting a website with no action or knowledge on your part – a few weeks ago I sent out an email to friends, family and clients regarding ActiveX and figured I should post it on my blog as well.
This is for anyone using Internet Explorer 9. Previous versions of Internet Explorer do not have the filter function. Firefox, Chrome etc do not use ActiveX.
By default, Internet Explorer allows all Active X content to be run. Active X controls are powerful browser plugins that enable many rich web experiences such as video playback etc… they can however also install malware onto your machine. Internet Explorer contains an “ActiveX Filtering” which puts YOU in control as to what ActiveX content is run on your computer. So if you do not trust the site – simply leave the filtering in place and the plugin will not be run lessening the chance of possible malware being installed on your computer.
How to turn ActiveX Filtering On
To enable ActiveX Filtering click on the “Tools Menu” and go to:
Tools 
> Safety > ActiveX Filtering
Make sure there is a check mark next to “ActiveX Filtering” Continue reading “Computer Security – IE’s ActiveX Filtering”
There is nothing quite as annoying as having tech not work as expected. We depend so much on our computers and smartphones now days that when something fails it makes us completely reorganize our lives… which has happened to me more times than I’d like this month. It started on April 1st when my mom called from Arizona when her computer failed… the next week was spent setting up a new one via remote access for her. It is absolutely amazing how far things have come since I first used a computer in 1983. The fact that current technology allows me to set up a computer that is 2500 miles away is mind boggling when you really think about it. All my mom had to do was insert cds and occassionally turn it on…
