A computer-based method for generating a Downloadable ID to identify a Downloadable, including obtaining a Downloadable that includes one or more references to software components required by the Downloadable, fetching at least one software component identified by the one or more references, and performing a function on the Downloadable and the fetched software components to generate a Downloadable ID. A system and a computer-readable storage medium are also described and claimed.

Protection systems and methods provide for protecting one or more personal computers (“PCs”) and/or other intermittently or persistently network accessible devices or processes from undesirable or otherwise malicious operations of Java TN applets, ActiveX™ controls, JavaScript™ scripts, Visual Basic scripts, add-ins, downloaded/uploaded programs or other “Downloadables” or “mobile code” in whole or part. A protection engine embodiment provides for monitoring information received, determining whether received information does or is likely to include executable code, and if so, causes mobile protection code (MPC) to be transferred to and rendered operable within a destination device of the received information. An MPC embodiment further provides, within a Downloadable-destination, for initiating the Downloadable, enabling malicious Downloadable operation attempts to be received by the MPC, and causing (predetermined) corresponding operations to be executed in response to the attempts.