There was a lot of time spent securing browsers from Java applets, etc and others that free reign over the computers BUS. If you are in serious, actual need of

There was a lot of time spent securing browsers from Java applets, etc and others that free reign over the computers BUS. If you are in serious, actual need of serial interface today - get a device like a Tibbo and hit it over TCP/IP. I don't work for Tibbo but have use their products in the past.