if you install a dodgy activex control then yes, but if you install any dodgy program the same applies.

It uses Java and the same can happen with any applet.

QFA

Norton Internet Security 2009 is meant to be lighter on system resources.

With NAV it works prefect for some and for others it creates problems.

Is this true? What does Firefox use instead?

Firefox / Netscape Navigator / anything non-IE they all use Sun Java which is safe as with the browser it's sandboxed so it can't really write anything to disc where as activeX only needs to be downloaded and run and it has access to all since IE is still part of the core of windows, and unless you have a really old PC which is running something like IE 4/5 and that's still using a MS version of Java (yes they did their own java at one point as well but the programmers got peeved enough to tell them to stop, that and Sun sued them to boot).

Although I have seen this trying to be exploited on FF it doesn't work due to the exploit basically bypassing some of browsers "security" and trying to download an ActiveX control to hijack, I tried the same site in IE and McAfee clamped down on the "javascript/ActiveX" worm that trying to get in..

I've only found a few sites that basically tell you as a FF user to politly go away and come back when your using a Internet Explorer, I avoid them between them and having to write pages with Style hacks to make sure that IE users see the page the same it is a bind..

Firefox / Netscape Navigator / anything non-IE they all use Sun Java which is safe as with the browser it's sandboxed so it can't really write anything to disc

Yes but all it takes is a vulnerability. So you should still be careful and make sure you have the latest version of java.

That is true, I always do try and make sure of this and one to watch out for is "AntispywareXP 08" or something like that it's anything but anti-spyware it's a very malecious peice of craftly written software that looks very, very real that it's installing as it uses an XP theme the bad syntax in the english gives it away but you need to look closely at it and it's just as bad to get rid of as Norton with both file and registry hooks, pity these guys didn't go and write it so it was good rather than bad..

you 'could' right a java applet to do anything, so it could be just as damaging as a rouge activex. Agreed it is not common..... yet