Ways to Use Java Applets to Enhance Network Security
With Java's expanding technologies and offerings to the online community, Applets have come into play with many different uses and functions. One key draw of the applets comes in the way of further enhancing one's own network security. Applets themselves arise when a user downloads any website page that hosts an applet. The user then needs to determine if the applets present are good or possibly pose a threat and then not sign them.
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Identification
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In order to incorporate the applet technology while on the Internet, you need to be certain that you are not browsing with a firewall or proxy server in place. These put restrictions on the applets and disallow them and provide an error reading. In order to allow the applets, you need to reconfigure the settings in your Domain Name Service and then changing the local HOSTS file and follow this by restarting your computer.
Considerations
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Applets are classified either as trusted or untrusted, and from there are either allowed inside or outside what is known as the sandbox. By assigning the applets as either trusted or not, you can control which ones are allowed to roam free among the network or limit the ones you would rather not. You can do this by amending the default mode in the browser from the original host and resetting the property settings. The main point of security here is that there is no built-in automatic release for the potentially harmful applets.
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Potential
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When using an Internet browser such as Netscape or Explorer, it is tough to navigate through allowing some applets and not others. Many browsers automatically deem the applet as a menace and automatically stop it from loading. This is why it is at the user's discretion as to which applets to allow or disallow. They can choose their safe applets by changing their cache to add the applet to the trusted signer certificates. This may not work in all cases, but Java's plug-in 1.3 has been able to work for most plug-in browsers.
Significance
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When using the applet's key tool function, a user is able to tap into many security enhancing functions. These include making a key pair, public or private, altering passwords and protecting any aliases, among others. Jarsigner is a second
aspect to consider, as it makes it further difficult for those who are not supposed to access a file gain privilege as this program asks for correlating passwords to open a certificate chain specified from keytool. Finally, it is the policytool that makes up the configuration of the external policy. The installer then has the means by which to black who can view a page.
Function
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By classifying your applets as signed or not, you can block the unsigned ones from many of the functions that would constitute a breach of security. This includes entering a fellow user's file system, clipboard, printers or files. You can further back things up using encryption. Unsigned applets will not gain access to any third party files or libraries. Finally, they do not have the ability to alter any Security Manager or make a new Class Loader.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Andrew Magill
