Yes we stand guilty of using javascript in our website. So how does this affect you and your computer's security?

Very likely, you've already stumbled upon a news item or some article that describes how javascript is a threat to browsers which in turn, is a potential security threat to your computer. For those who haven't, here's a quick definition of what javascript is all about--javascript is a computer language that was made mainly for designing websites.

Nowadays, most websites incorporate javascript in the overall presentation of their pages. In fact, some of the fanciest and most eye-catching designs utilize the javascript language in their presentation.

Javascript is often used to overcome the different unique quirks of the different browsers available in the market. Browsers operate and behave differently from one another and certainly, they interpret certain computer languages differently. Javascript can be used to overcome these differences so that each web site will look the same to the visitor no matter what browser they use.

Unfortunately the most widely used browser, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, is recognized as the most unsecure. The good news is that there are safer alternatives such as Firefox, Opera and the once-popular Netscape.

The main criticism on javascript is that a programmer can easily add a line of code into the javascript and suddenly it becomes a dangerous one. When your browser opens the site with the malicious javascript, the code can easily slip into your computer without you even knowing it.

This is an entirely valid criticism. And that is also why most modern browsers include security settings. These settings affect how the browser behaves whenever it opens a website. These browsers have a default setting wherein sites with javascript will be screened. Unfortunately though even the screening can at times be faulty and what the browser considers safe could actually be unsafe.

However the user can easily override these default settings by choosing the option to block all sites that have javascript. The only problem though with blocking all sites that have javascript in them is that you cannot possibly properly navigate the site at all. Most sites use javascript for you to see pictures or graphics, some use javascript in their navigation menus.

The "happy compromise" here is to use selective blocking of websites, if your browser offers this feature at all. Simply put, selective blocking is when you allow the execution of javascript on a particular site that you know is trustworthy and then blocking those that are not. The rule of thumb is that you are more likely to be exposed to malicious scripts when you visit the "seedier" sites, such as those offering cracked/pirated software, cheat codes for games, pornography, illegal downloads and the like.

You don't even have to take our word for it. Click here to read the real-life experience of a professional about his experiences after he downloaded a game patch from a site that offered illegal downloads.