Internet Explorer 7 Security Options

New Security Features

When I went to open a Microsoft Access database from my network today, I noticed that this dialog appeared.  Similar to the dialog that appears when you are downloading a file using Internet Explorer if you have IE6 SP2, (or Internet Explorer 7). But I wasn’t using Internet Explorer, I was using Windows Explorer (I realize it is essentially the same thing, but this security popup didn’t occur until I installed Internet Explorer 7). Because I was opening a file located from outside of my local machine, AND IT , it confirmed that I wanted to open it. That’s fine, I clicked ‘Open’ and Access began to load.

Then when Microsoft Access was loaded, this message box appeared telling me I couldn’t open the file due to potential security problems.

I hadn’t seen this before, so I had to copy the file to my laptop, make changes, and then copy it back to my server. Pretty annoying since I want the database backed up, and don’t want to have to copy the file every time I make a change to it. I knew it had to be related to my newly installed Internet Explorer 7 settings, so I did some looking through the Internet Options of Internet Explorer 7.

From the Internet Options dialog, click on the ‘Security’ tab, then click on ‘Trusted Sites’, and finally click on the ‘Sites’ button.

Now you will see a popup that allows you to enter any sites that you consider ‘trustworthy’. This means that Internet Explorer will allow you to open files from these trusted sites without any question. Great for adding sites you trust and/or regularly visit. (By default it added my home page - google.ca to the ‘Add this website to the zone:’ textbox).

In the ‘Add this website to the zone:’ textbox is where you can add web sites that you trust, and IE7 will allow you to open files, and pretty much do anything with these sites without prompting because you consider them trusted sources. Because I was trying to access my server, we’ll have to add the server name to this text box. In this example, let’s say that my server’s name is fileserver.

So I added ‘fileserver to the textbox and clicked the ‘Add’ button.

Now my fileserver is considered a trusted site by Internet Explorer and I was able to open my Microsoft Access file without any questions from Windows.

Explorer Security Settings

Overall I think this is great. One of the problems with Internet Explorer 6’s security was that it was to open by default. Typical users do not know about these options, so they can be easy prey to people who want to run malicious software on their computer. Now Microsoft has become more restrictive with the way security is implemented in IE7, and this is one way of helping end users.