Excerpted from message dated 03-22-97, Jeff Malka to all:
JM>How safe is using JAVA on the internet?  I have heard conflicting
  >info on this.  Some say it is leaving you open to all kind of
  >trouble, while others say that JAVA unlike ActiveX only works within
  >your Netscape envelope and cannot read your HD, etc.
JM>What is the true story?
Hi Jeff--
    The real true story is that nothing on the internet is completely
safe.  But there are such things as malicious Java Applets that will
(probably) not trash your HD but which may load up your memory and CPU
until your system slows to a crawl (according to David Noon, if you are
running OS/2 or NT, you can probably get your system back by closing the
browser; if you are running Windows 3.1 or 95, the only cure is to
reboot).  These malicious Applets are easy to write, and probably more
and more malicious individuals who run their own web page will be
writing them (just for fun!).  The best security is to never browse a
web page you are not sure of with a Java-enabled browser.
    For the complete story, including how to build malicious Applets of
your own, read the book "Java Security" by McGraw and Felton (Wiley,
1997, ISBN 0-4711782-X), list price $19.95(US).
    I know nothing about Active-X, but if it is has any of the
characteristics of MS's VxDs, I would avoid it like the plague!
          --Murray

___
 * MR/2 2.25 #120 * If it can happen, it will (Murphy)
--- Maximus/2 2.02
---------------