Somewhat independent of the security/safety issues regarding Java applets, there are also questions about their suitability for crypto applications. Applets currently labor under several restrictions (at least when part of the Netscape browser) which make it hard to do crypto:
Applets cannot accept net connections, and they can only make outgoing connections to the host which provided them to the browser.
Applets cannot read or write local disk files.
Applets cannot access other local hardware, such as smart cards, printers, or microphones. [SNIP] So there are limits to how much safety you can expect. Hopefully with signed applets it will be OK to authorize some overrides of the current restrictions so that these other kinds of applications can be provided.
My understanding is, Java applications (as opposed to applets) don't have those limitations, and can do _almost_ anything a C program can. The applications still have the full cross-platform compatability. IMO dumping the security of applets in favour of the capability of applications is a good idea. After all, the applet security features have a lot of flaws, so why limit your programs when it's not offering any real security? Signing programs is a good idea. It will provide better security than we currently have, without having to limit the capabilities of the software. JMHO. ===================================================================== | Steve Reid - SysAdmin & Pres, EDM Web (http://www.edmweb.com/) | | Email: steve@edmweb.com Home Page: http://www.edmweb.com/steve/ | | PGP Fingerprint: 11 C8 9D 1C D6 72 87 E6 8C 09 EC 52 44 3F 88 30 | | -- Disclaimer: JMHO, YMMV, IANAL. -- | ===================================================================:)