2 security tips by me!

[Krak]

Okay there are 2 security enhancements which i recommend:

 

1. Download modified HOSTS file!

Q: What is HOSTS file?

A:

The Hosts file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. This file is loaded into memory (cache) at startup, then Windows checks the Hosts file before it queries any DNS servers, which enables it to override addresses in the DNS. This prevents access to the listed sites by redirecting any connection attempts back to the local machine. Another feature of the HOSTS file is its ability to block other applications from connecting to the Internet, providing the entry exists.

 

Q: Where i can download modified HOSTS file?

A: from here: http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

 

2. Lock homepage in IE! Browser HiJackers are boring and can be dangerous (for your files (by loading a sites with trojans)) so there is a way to lock you IE homepage forever!

 

Q: How can i lock IE hompage?

A: just open Notepad and insert nex text:

REGEDIT4

 

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]

"Homepage"=dword:00000001

 

 

 

Then save it as ielock.reg (Save as type: All files (extension must be reg!!!))

 

Q: On what version of IE this reg tweak works?

A: On all versions!

 

Q: Is there anything else that i should now?

A: YES! AdAware and Spybot are detecting this change in registry so you must exclude it from scan (on firs scan a path will be displayed and you just need to exclude that path from scan!)

[Andavari]

The HOSTS file should also be set as read-only, and a backup should be created, e.g.; HOSTS.backup in the same folder with the original.