Today, if not everyone, then certainly the vast majority of users of modern computer systems know, or at least have heard, about the concept of ActiveX. What is it and why such technologies are used, we will try to figure it out. Let's look at the most basic aspects, without particularly going into technical issues.
ActiveX: what is it? Simple concepts
In order not to load an unprepared user with unnecessary technical terms, consider ActiveX technologies so that everyone understands. In fact, ActiveX elements are small programs from which a programmer or site creator, as blocks, can make up many interesting designs.
Initially, it was believed that such elements (also called add-ons) were used exclusively to add certain additional features to certain World Wide Web resources and were supported only by a native Windows browser called Internet Explorer (using programs in different languages in one browser, regardless of the development environment).
This is partly true. However, now there are a lot of other control elements that can also be attributed to ActiveX technologies. What is it? The simplest example is the addition in the form of a Flash player from Macromedia Corporation, which stood at the origins of its creation.
Today it is the most common Adobe ActiveX Player plugin, or rather Adobe Flash Player, which is able to integrate into almost all browsers known today. In addition to Adobe, which took over from Macromedia, there are still many developers of similar plug-ins, but their products, in comparison with this unique player, can not be compared to, and therefore are simply unclaimed.
However, it is very difficult to name such elements as programs in the usual sense, because it is simply impossible to launch them in the classical way (by double-clicking). Their built-in codes are executed exactly in the environment of Internet browsers.
The main area of use of ActiveX controls (Windows 7, 8, etc.)
To make it clearer, consider a few basic aspects of the use of such technologies. For example, they allow, as already mentioned, to integrate audio or video players into the site. In other words, you can listen to music or watch a clip directly on the site.
Note, as a rule, the program itself with the shell on the resource is not shown. Instead, either sound redirection to the audio system of the computer system is used, or a special window opens to view the video. It turns out that the element itself (add-in) works as if in the background, hidden from the eyes of the user or visitor to the site.
The same goes for online games. Here one of the key roles is played by the Framework platform (4th or any other version). Here it must be said that the .NET Framework is a unique development of Microsoft Corporation. However, Adobe ActiveX technologies in this case also supplement the main platform and are responsible for opening or playing multimedia elements. This combination allows you to use various elements that were originally written in different programming languages (C ++, Delphi, Visual Basic, etc.).
In addition, the presence of the same “Framework 4” element (or higher - 4.5) is a prerequisite for the work of many constructive or control elements of sites, even in offline mode.
The difference between Java applets and ActiveX controls
Many people mistakenly attribute Java applets to ActiveX controls. Yes, indeed, they are very similar, but there is one main difference.
The fact is that constructs created using the Java language work on any platform and in any operating system, while ActiveX has a narrow focus exclusively on Microsoft software products.
Caution! Viruses!
Unfortunately, now on the network you can find a lot of viruses masquerading as elements such as Adobe Flash ActiveX. In this regard (since when using each element is downloaded directly to the browser, and therefore to the computer), it is recommended to take into account some security measures.
The fact is that most users never really read messages about the offer to download and use this or that element and simply agree by clicking the "OK" button. This is fraught with consequences.
We should also say that in most cases, even full-time antiviruses or Internet defenders are not always able to recognize such threats. So the installation of the same plug-ins in the form of Flash ActiveX should be done from official sources, roughly speaking, from the developer's site, which guarantees complete security in using this or that add-on.
Enabling and disabling ActiveX in Internet Explorer
Now a few words about how to properly configure the use of such add-ons in Internet Explorer.
First you need to call the browser properties menu from the Control Panel or the service section in the browser itself, and then go to the security settings. Below there is a button for the “Other” security level. By clicking on it, we get into the ActiveX settings menu.
So God forbid not to catch any infection from the Internet, you need to disable the download of unsigned and the use of elements marked unsafe. Ideally, you should use the element loading mode at the "Suggest" level.
General Security Settings
Do not forget about another remedy. This is a firewall, also called a firewall. As expected, it also has its own default security settings, however, suppose online game lovers can add some executable plugins to the so-called exclusion list. Again, only under the condition of complete and absolute confidence in their safety, as well as the absence of viruses on the sites from where they are downloaded.
And disabling the firewall, as some developers recommend doing for the correct operation of an online application or game, is not recommended at all. And then after all, many complain, they say, a conflict arises between the application and the firewall. But disconnect, and the consequences can not be avoided. In this case, no proactive protection from the anti-virus will help.
Using ActiveX Technologies in Other Browsers
The time when such add-ons were designed only for Internet Explorer, are irrevocably gone. Judge for yourself, because today Adobe ActiveX technology in the form of a Flash player is used in almost all browsers and even, so to speak, is an integral part of them.
Without this, it is impossible to imagine the full use of the capabilities of any Internet resource, be it music, video, three-dimensional graphics, games, online programs, etc.
However, if you look, by and large, of all the currently known ActiveX elements and downloadable plug-ins, the most appropriate option is to use only a Flash player, since almost all other add-ons and elements, to put it mildly, are either simply unnecessary or cause quite big doubts about them security. After all, if you give permission to install a dubious element in your browser, you can only achieve that immediately there will be a gap in the security system, and that it will be used by viruses, trojans, worms, malicious codes or spyware.
And what is most sad, in most browsers there are not even settings for managing ActiveX controls, and the used Windows settings have no relation to third-party browsers. In other words, they do not apply to browsers.
Conclusion
So we briefly reviewed the topic "ActiveX: what is it?". It is hoped that the above material at least slightly explained the principle of functioning and use of such add-ons. Apparently, now it’s easy to guess how careful you need to be careful with these technologies, otherwise, it’s not an hour, and the consequences for the entire computer system can be most dire. In the case of Internet Explorer, it is better to use the security modes above average (or even the maximum one), but in browsers from other developers you will have to think a hundred times before agreeing to the installation and use of the elements offered by the site. The point is not only a potential threat, but also that the installation of completely unnecessary plug-ins and controls, as a rule, affects the speed of the browser itself, and not for the better.