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Use Authenticode to verify that the Web won't harm your computer

Because software on the Internet isn't labeled and shrink-wrapped like the software you find in retail stores, it's not so obvious who published a piece of software or whether it's been tampered with. Microsoft provides the verification you need with Authenticode technology, which serves as a "virtual shrink-wrap" so you can be sure who created a piece of software before you decide whether to download it from the Web.

Authenticode lets you know who published the software and verifies that it has not been tampered with since the publisher published it. Based on whether you're familiar with and have trust in a particular publisher, you can decide whether or not to install and run the software, which can include Java applets, ActiveX controls, and plug-ins.

How does it work?

Microsoft provides Authenticode in conjunction with VeriSign, an industry-leading certificate authority that issues the digital identification that software publishers use to sign their code. If a piece of software has been digitally signed using a VeriSign certificate, Internet Explorer 4.0 can verify that the software originated from the named software publisher and has not been tampered with. In that case Internet Explorer will display a certificate.

If the code has been tampered with since it was published, you will receive a warning. If the software hasn't been digitally signed, Internet Explorer 4.0 will ask whether you want to download unverified software.

People who develop software for the Web can find tools for signing their code through the ActiveX Software Development Kit.



©1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Legal Notices.
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 08, 1997