Basic Security Settings of Internet Explorer 7 A browser is your interface to the Internet. Connection to the Internet, as you may have experienced, can stuff up your system, if that connection is not secure. A browser therefore needs to find a balance between being flexible enough to allow website activity while maintaining sufficiently high security to prevent the misuse of data or applications. Internet Explorer 7 (IE7), in conjunction with Windows Defender, is designed to act as a watch dog. Windows Defender comes pre-installed on Windows Vista systems. It can be downloaded for free for Windows XP SP2 users. IE7 has multiple interrelated security features that help to guard your system against malware, such as spyware, viruses, worms, adware, and unwanted and malicious code. Included in the browser’s dynamic protection are measures that safeguard your system and ensure that your personal information does not get compromised. The new security features included in IE7 and Vista are ActiveX opt-in, Pop-up Blocker and Protected Mode. Protected Mode
Protected Mode is only available with Vista. It has been designed to defend systems against ‘elevation of privilege’ attacks. It prevents hackers from getting access to a system and installing unwanted programs or using/ deleting information.
With Protected Mode enabled, IE7 cannot modify user files and settings without user confirmation. A common rookie mistake that can cripple a system is to just click agree or next when a pop-up window asks to install something when you’re browsing. Kids and teenagers are often the culprit. With Protected Mode enabled, the user is required to confirm any kind of activity that tries to install new programs on the computer. “Are you sure you really want to do this?” Vista + IE7 in Protected Mode will ask. The fact that user consent is required for permitting actions of this kind ensures that the possibility of automated scripts running or unwanted applications being installed, is reduced drastically. Protected Mode gives you an indication of what a particular website is trying to do, so that you have a chance of stopping it and checking its trustworthiness before you proceed with the action. By default it is enabled for all security zones excluding the Trusted Zone. |