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why are they a security risk then?
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can anyone give a beginners introduction into isapi filters (what they do), and any risks associated with not disabling them on a production web server (running IIS)? In what circumstances would you need to enable these isapi filters, and where in iis manager can you see if they are enabled or not? I am not from a development background so please go easy in your responses!
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can anyone give a beginners introduction into isapi filters (what they do), and any risks associated with not disabling them on a production web server (running IIS)? In what circumstances would you need to enable these isapi filters, and where in iis manager can you see if they are enabled or not? I am not from a development background so please go easy in your responses!

ISAPI filters

IIS is Internet Information Services, the web server included with Windows Server operating systems. All current versions are built on a modular architecture; modules can be added or removed individually so that those required for specific functionality are installed. The full installation of IIS includes HTTP, security, content, compression, caching, logging and diagnostics.

Microsoft IIS Web Server

A web server refers to the software that helps to deliver web content that can be accessed either through the Internet or through an intranet. The primary function of a web server is to store, process and deliver web pages to clients. The communication between client and server takes place using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The most common use of web servers is to host websites, but there are other uses such as gaming, data storage, running enterprise applications, handling email, FTP, etc.