This document presents a study for the securing of Java-based systems based in the Mobile Agent paradigm. Security is an important issue for the widespread development of applications based on software agent technology. It is generally agreed that without the proper countermeasures in place, use of agent-based applications will be severe impeded. This document gives an overview of the threats associated with software agent systems focused on the elements of our simplified model: Agents and Agent Platforms and also describe a general method for controlling the behavior of mobile agent-system entities through the allocation of privileges. This approach overcomes a number of problems in existing agent systems and provides a means for attaining improved interpretability of agent systems designed and implemented independently by different manufacturers.