Java sandbox - technical definition

A constrained arena within which Java applications can be made to run, preventing for example, access to the local hard disk or to the network. While this restricts the program's capabilities, it provides security for downloading Java applets from the Internet and running them from the Web browser. Sun has evolved its sandbox policy. Depending on Java VM version, trusted code can be allowed to do any task or only certain tasks depending on user and configuration. In Java 2, even unsigned code can be given full access to the system if the company policy so dictates. See object signing and Java.