This check lists the current and recommended security settings for the IE zones for each local user on the scanned computer.
Note: Zones that have Custom settings may be more secure than the recommended settings in the tool. While the tool will report that custom settings are used for each zone, it cannot determine whether these settings are more secure than the recommended setting.
Note: If you get the message "Error Reading Registry," the Remote Registry service might not be enabled.
The Microsoft Internet Explorer Web content zones divide the Internet or intranet into zones with different levels of security. This capability permits you to set global default settings for the browser that allow all content on trusted sites or disallow certain types of content, such as Java applets or ActiveX« controls, depending on the Web site of origin.
The Internet Explorer browsing software comes with four predefined Web content zones: Internet, Local intranet, Trusted sites, and Restricted sites. In the Internet Options dialog box, you can set the security options you want for each zone, and then add or remove sites from any zone (except Internet), depending on your level of trust in the site. In corporate environments, administrators can set up zones for users. They can also add or remove (in advance) the authentication certificates of software publishers that they do or do not trust so that users do not have to make security decisions while they are using the Internet.
For each security zone you can choose a high, medium, low, or custom security setting. Microsoft recommends the high setting for sites in a zone of uncertain trustworthiness. The custom choice provides advanced users and administrators with more control over all security options, including the following:
About URL Security Zones Templates
How to Use Security Zones in Internet Explorer (Q174360)
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