ActiveX® plug-ins are computer programs that interact with programs like Internet Explorer® to perform functions like watching videos or playing games. They can be created using programming languages like C++ and Java and can interact with HTML. They are only available on Windows® and can be a security risk. Firefox® does not support ActiveX®. Users can enable or disable them and set different levels of security.
An ActiveX® plug-in is a computer program that works within and interacts with a program such as Microsoft® Windows® Internet Explorer®. This plug-in allows browsers and other utilities to perform certain functions, such as watching videos or playing games. Plug-ins can also be used to add functionality to a program that wasn’t present in the original installation. They are downloaded and installed on your computer through the Internet connection. Introduced in 1996, the ActiveX® plug-in was the successor of two similar types of technologies, called the “component object model” and “object linking and embedding.”
An ActiveX® plug-in can be created using a variety of programming languages, although ActiveX® itself is not a programming language. Instead, languages such as C++ and Java are used to create these plug-ins. It is also possible for plug-ins to interact and integrate with the HTML programming language.
Programs in the Windows® operating system, in addition to web browsers, can use ActiveX® plug-ins and controls. These programs include, but are not limited to, Microsoft® Office, Microsoft’s suite of productivity software; and Windows® Media Player®. ActiveX® plug-ins help these programs share information both with the Web and with other programs on the same computer.
ActiveX® plug-ins are only available for computers running the Windows® operating system. This causes sites that rely heavily on ActiveX® technology and plug-ins to display incorrectly on operating systems such as Mac OS X® and Linux®. Mozilla® Firefox® does not support ActiveX®, although third-party plug-ins have been released that enable the technology. Instead, Firefox® uses different types of plug-ins and extensions to perform many of the same functions as ActiveX®.
Users have the ability to enable or disable ActiveX® plug-ins when using the Internet Explorer® web browser. If enabled, users can also specify different levels of security. Internet Explorer® can prompt you when an ActiveX® plug-in should be installed, it can download all plug-ins automatically, or it can be set to only download plug-ins from secure sites.
By design, ActiveX® plug-ins have full administrative access to every aspect of the Windows® operating system. This makes technology one of the primary ways that malicious programs such as spyware and adware are downloaded to a computer from the Web. That’s why browsers that support ActiveX® give users the ability to disable the technology at their discretion. This is also one of the main reasons cited by the Mozilla® Firefox® development team as to why that browser doesn’t openly support the technology.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
