Next, we are going to see how to use the hosts file of my PC to block malware or spam. In this way we will considerably improve the security of our computer.
It is not exactly a novelty, when browsing the Internet we are constantly exposed to infecting our computer with different types of computer viruses, which not only endangers the PC but also all the information that we have stored on it.
That is why we are going to teach you how to use the Windows hosts file not only to block malware or dangerous websites. But also so that you can block any kind of site that you don’t want to be available in any way.
This is something extremely positive since, if you have children at home. It will be able to prevent you from entering certain sites like those that are focused on adult content, just to give an example.
Follow this tutorial to the letter and you’ll quickly see that modifying the host file to block whatever you want is easier than you might think. Let’s get started.
How to use the hosts file to block malware
The host file can be used to block adult websites, malware, etc. So it is ideal to have a notion of how we can use it, especially if we have children at home who use the computer.
What is the host file? It is a plain text document which is located in a folder of the operating system which it checks every time it connects to a domain.
How can we block a web address? This process is easier than you might imagine. The only thing we are going to have to do is open the file located at the following address: C:WindowsSystem32driversetc.
Once the host file is open, what we must do is go to the bottom of it, without deleting anything and add, for example: 0.0.0.0 www.instagram.com.
Save the changes and restart the computer. If you try to enter Instagram from any browser or application, you will not be able to do so. What we are doing is asking our computer that all the traffic that should (under normal conditions) be directed to Instagram, go to the IP address 0.0.0.0, which causes the upload to fail and have no results.
On the other hand, you should take into account the best Antispyware and Antimalware programs, thus extending the security of your computer equipment
How to block malware with the hosts file
So, once we fully understand how we can modify the file to block websites. Now let’s go one step further and use a collection of IP addresses created by Steven Black on GitHub.
What is it about? It is a collection of addresses that we should block because they are totally insecure. They are based on information collected from trusted sites like adaway.org, malwaredomainlist.com, etc.
The current database has almost 40 thousand entries in total. The same organized very carefully so as not to repeat any address. These are addresses that we must block to improve the security of our computer.
As if that wasn’t enough. From GitHub everything is also organized by categories. Which means you can block the type of malware you want without having to use the entire list.
What types of malware or suspicious sites does it block? Sites of: bets, casinos, adult content, adware, malware, fake news, phishing (brand or identity theft), among others.
You can see where the information was taken from to reach the conclusion of adding all the addresses in the file. Therefore, the data that it manages is quite detailed so that you can be as calm as possible that you are blocked from really dangerous sites.
In any case, for any novice user, it is best to take into account the best free and paid Windows antivirus. In this way, you can protect yourself against any virus or threat.
