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Thwart the Three Biggest Internet Threats of 2007The same Internet connection that lets you reach out and touch millions of Web servers, e-mail addresses, and other digital entities across the globe also endangers your PC and the information it contains about you. Here’s how to stymie the three gravest Internet risks. Threat1: IE Internet Explorer heads the list of top Internet security attack targets in the most recent joint report of the FBI and security organization SANS Institute. One reason: As the most widely used browser, IE provides the biggest payoff for malicious hackers who set out to exploit its flaws. The biggest problem with IE is its reliance on Microsoft ActiveX technology, which allows Web sites to run executable programs on your PC via your browser. Security patches and upgrades, including Windows XP Service Pack 2 and the recently released IE 7, make ActiveX safer, but the inevitable flaws that allow malware to circumvent those security measures–combined with the reality that we computer users are often a credulous lot–make ActiveX a risk not worth taking. Happily, with very few exceptions (such as Microsoft Windows Update site), you can browse the Internet effectively without ActiveX. To disable ActiveX in IE 6 and 7, choose Tools, Internet Options, Security, Custom Level, scroll to ‘Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins, and select Disable. Click OK, Yes, and OK to close the dialog boxes. To enable ActiveX on a known and trusted site, click Tools, Internet Options, Security, choose Trusted Sites, click Sites, enter the site address in the text box, and click Add. Uncheck Require server verification (https:) for all sites