Using Security Features in Outlook

Setting Security for Outlook Folder Home Pages

In Microsoft Outlook 2000, you can associate a Web page with any personal or public folder. These Folder Home Pages use the following security modes:

• Use zone security and allow script access to Outlook object model
• Use zone security only

Use zone security and allow script access to Outlook object model

This mode, which is the default for Outlook 2000, gives scripts on a Web page access to the Outlook object model and also ensures that the Outlook Today ActiveX control is running continuously. For all other aspects of the Web page, the appropriate Microsoft Internet Explorer zone security settings are used.

For example, if the Internet Explorer zone security settings specify that ActiveX controls are not allowed to run, then no ActiveX controls run for a Folder Home Page except the Outlook Today ActiveX control.

Access to the object model allows scripts to manipulate all of the user’s Outlook information on the computer. The primary security ramification of this mode is that it allows anyone who creates a public folder for a home page to include scripts that can manipulate data in user mailboxes. Although it provides the opportunity to create powerful public folder applications, access to the object model also exposes users to some security risks.

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Use zone security only

This mode is activated directly through the Windows registry or indirectly through a system policy. In this mode, scripts on the Web page do not have access to the Outlook object model, and the Outlook Today ActiveX control is subject to the same Internet Explorer zone security settings as all other ActiveX controls.

For example, if the Internet Explorer zone security settings specify that ActiveX controls are not allowed to run, then the Outlook Today ActiveX control does not run on the computer.

System Policy Tip   You can tighten security by using a system policy to disable Folder Home Pages for all of your users. In the System Policy Editor, in the Microsoft Outlook 2000\Miscellaneous\Folder Home Pages for Outlook special folders category, select the Disable Folder Home Pages policy and then select Disable Folder Home Pages for all folders in the Settings for Disable Folder Home Pages area. For more information about the System Policy Editor, see Using the System Policy Editor.