Inside Java™ 2 Platform Security: Architecture, API Design, and Implementation, Second Edition

2.2. Original Basic Security Architecture

In the original (1.0) release of the Java platform, the basic security architecture centered on allowing a user to import and run Java applets dynamically without undue risk to the user’s system. An applet is loosely defined to be any code that does not reside on the local system and must be downloaded to be run. Code that does reside on the local system is commonly called a Java application, that is, a Java technology–based application. Because applets are downloaded dynamically and often without your awareness and because you may not know who the applets’ authors are, you cannot blindly trust an applet not to be malicious. Thus, a downloaded applet’s actions are restricted to a sandbox, an area of ...