Internet Explorer Security Zones

ActiveX Code Signing

Microsoft and other software companies have developed a safe and reliable method of distributing software over the Internet; this method is based on digitally signing code used in ActiveX controls.

Signing a Control

To sign the code for a control, the control developer obtains a digital certificate from a certificate authority. A control that is signed with a digital certificate is not necessarily a safe control. The digital certificate only guarantees that the code being downloaded was:

• Built and signed by a qualified developer.
• Has not been tampered with or corrupted.

Setting the Safety Level

Users can determine whether or not they want to download and run controls by setting the safety level and determining whether the control has been signed with a digital certificate.

When you select the Custom security level, you can specify how you wish to download both signed and unsigned controls. To access these options, select Settings on the Security Tab.

---

Option	Description
Enable	Automatically download the control.
Prompt	Prompt the user before downloading.
Disable	Do not download the control.

---

When you encounter an unregistered control on a Web page, a digital certificate displays the author of the control and gives you the option to download it.

Figure 8.2 A digital certificate