How to Block Bad Websites

Last Update: Mon, 04/12/2010 - 16:02 — Rizar

There are many ways to block bad websites and unwanted content. I break this guide into three different ways to prevent your PC from being infected by accidentally visiting a malicious or compromised website: (1) programs and tips that help prevent your PC from being a target for malware. (2) Programs that alert you to potentially malicious websites when they appear -- the self-censorship or "just change the channel approach". (3) Programs that filter unwanted content/websites from appearing -- the censorship approach.

It Begins with Prevention: 6 Easy Steps to Secure Your PC From Being a Target

1. Secure Your PC: Improve your online protection by isolating or sandboxing applications that frequently use the Internet. These novel options will help block the majority of malware from getting a foothold. If you are willing to put up with the slight learning curve of DropMyRights (download, editor review), Sandboxie (home, editor review), or GeSWall (home, editor review), then I highly recommend one of those products. They use different techniques to prevent or remove malware without depending on antivirus and antimalware scanners (that do not detect everything).

Another excellent option for proactive firewall fans is to use Comodo's new sandboxing feature or Online Armor's "run safer" feature, which run certain applications isolated or with limited privileges (editor review).

Otherwise I highly suggest using a limited user account (LUA) rather than a normal full administrator account. It isn't quite as potent as Sandboxie, but it still protects against the majority of malware.

Yet another option is to use the UAC (meaning "user account control", a built in windows HIPS) silently or full on in Vista/7 to automatically limit rights system wide and virtualize the registry, but it's much more effective when you are under a limited user account. Some users like using it with TweakUAC or SuRun to help reduce alerts.

Personally I think a LUA creates too many restrictions for innocuous actions, and a silent UAC makes it mysterious whether an application is going to work correctly (I always have to check whether it needs to be run under administrator mode). I'm currently favoring GeSWall as a nice user friendly complement to my other security software.

2. Use a Safe Browser with Security Addons/Extensions: In addition, almost all popular web browsers now provide some general protection. I confirmed that Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome have encryption support (with SSL & TLS), deletion of private data, and popup blocking. They also produce warning screens to help you to avoid malicious sites (anti-phishing, anti-malware protection), but they are less sensitive than WOT type advisers. Firefox and Google Chrome also have private browsing modes to clear your tracks away.

Here's a sample of security addons/extensions to get:

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Tuesday, April 13, 2010