[How-To] Block Malicious Websites or Ads with Comodo v7 & v8 Web Filter

[Umbra]

tested with CIS v8.2 , it is still valid

 

[Yash Khan]

tested with CIS v8.2 , it is still valid

Latest CIS
Win 10 64

I tried Dan Pollock, MVPS & hpHosts with CIS Web Filter & all worked fine.

Can you tell me all the 3 hosts details i.e what all the 3 hosts contains i.e ads, tracking, malware, social networking, etc...?
I tried the official website but couldn't find what all the hosts contains?

 

[Andytay70]

Problem with the latest MVP hosts file is that it blocks Malwaretips.com

I'm using V Hosts and dont have anyssues accessing MT?

 

[kuttan]

@Umbra Thank you for the helpful tutorial and it worked for me just fine. One thing I would like to ask is that is it really possible to block MVPS Hosts lists by directly entering the addresses on Routers web block page ?? So that even if I don't use Comodo I can continue with blocking the malicious/ads sites.

 

[Umbra]

should be possible, but it a extremely long procedure since you have to add the IPs one by one, unless the router can manage lists.

 

[kuttan]

should be possible, but it a extremely long procedure since you have to add the IPs one by one, unless the router can manage lists.

IPs are not needed, but needs to enter each URL manually and click "Add" that needs to be done more than 1000 times to add all MVPS Hosts list URLs

My router web block page:

 

[Umbra]

so pointless.

 

[kuttan]

Yes

 

[pablozi]

Sorry guys for refreshing such an old thread but do I have to follow all the steps for each update of MVPS hosts file?

 

[Umbra]

Sorry guys for refreshing such an old thread but do I have to follow all the steps for each update of MVPS hosts file?

yes since it adds new sites

 

[pablozi]

I am going to add the hosts from this website:
Using a Hosts File To Make The Internet Not Suck (as much)
to check if I can block ads, trackers and Windows 10 telemetry using this CIS feature

 

[Yash Khan]

I am going to add the hosts from this website:
Using a Hosts File To Make The Internet Not Suck (as much)
to check if I can block ads, trackers and Windows 10 telemetry using this CIS feature

Hosts File format works with CIS fine. I have tried few & worked fine.

Other file formats dont work with CIS or dont know if they work or not? I tried easy list & easy privacy but didn't worked or error, etc...

 

[Windows_Security]

A great feature, does it update the list automatically or do you have to do that manually (like we did in previous century)?

 

[Umbra]

A great feature, does it update the list automatically or do you have to do that manually (like we did in previous century)?

Comodo has it own list which is automatically updated, but to me it is far from complete; this is why i made this tutorial, your own custom lists have to be updated manually.

 

[Decopi]

Comodo has it own list which is automatically updated, but to me it is far from complete; this is why i made this tutorial, your own custom lists have to be updated manually.

Hi @Umbra !

I read your tutorial time ago, I read again today, and nowadays it is still a very nice and useful tutorial. Thank you!

I have CF with CS' settings. And I loved it!
I tried to apply your tutorial. But honestly, the manual update issue... killed me. It is a pity that Comodo hasn't some kind of automatic update for lists.

Questions:
1) By chance, do you have any new Comodo info about automatic updates for lists?
2) By chance, do you have any tutorial about an alternative, to make lists automatically updated (and installed in CF)?

Thanks!

 

[Umbra]

Hi @Umbra !

I read your tutorial time ago, I read again today, and nowadays it is still a very nice and useful tutorial. Thank you!

You are welcome.

I have CF with CS' settings. And I loved it!
I tried to apply your tutorial. But honestly, the manual update issue... killed me. It is a pity that Comodo hasn't some kind of automatic update for lists.

they can't because the custom lists (like MVPS) aren't made by comodo; and they won't make a feature for it.

Questions:
1) By chance, do you have any new Comodo info about automatic updates for lists?
2) By chance, do you have any tutorial about an alternative, to make lists automatically updated (and installed in CF)?

1- No, for the reason i said above.
2- No, you will never have an automatized way to import custom user-made lists into comodo.

 

[Decopi]

You are welcome.


they can't because the custom lists (like MVPS) aren't made by comodo; and they won't make a feature for it.


1- No, for the reason i said above.
2- No, you will never have an automatized way to import custom user-made lists into comodo.

Thanks @Umbra ! I was expecting your negative answers, but I wanted to ask you to be sure.
I still believe this is a pity from Comodo' side. I am not talking about customized lists. But any regular hosts list is very easy to update. And the tool is there at CF! They just need to add the possibility to work with lists, and to automatically update them. For Comodo it will be a little and easy improvement, with a tremendous benefit, not to mention also a competitive differential. No other product is offering something like this.
But, ok, let's forget to automatize list updates for CF.

Last question:
What about to automatize list updates with some other method or software? Is there something we can do to automatize list updates?

Thanks!

 

[Umbra]

I still believe this is a pity from Comodo' side. I am not talking about customized lists. But any regular hosts list is very easy to update.

When i say "customized" , i meant a host list made by a 3rd party or by a user.

And the tool is there at CF! They just need to add the possibility to work with lists, and to automatically update them.
For Comodo it will be a little and easy improvement, with a tremendous benefit, not to mention also a competitive differential.

There is no tool in Comodo for what you ask; basically such mechanism would be built-in Comodo, check the server of the 3rd party for an updated list , download the list , implement it in Comodo...will never happen , Comodo would have to make a deal with them (aka pay them) and they would gain nothing from it, only bloat their soft for the need of the few.
Comodo use its own updated list and that's it.

No other product is offering something like this.

Emsisoft allows custom host list and they implemented it in a simpler way than comodo. You need 3 clicks, comodo mechanism is more complicated to import those lists.

Last question:
What about to automatize list updates with some other method or software? Is there something we can do to automatize list updates?

a decade ago, i used to use HostsXpert, but it is not automatized and surely abandoned.

 

[Decopi]

@Umbra ,

Hosts lists are for free!
And I didn't mean CF to offer the lists.
CF already offers the mechanism to work with lists. So, I meant just to add the possibility to automatically update lists. It is not different from what extensions/add-ons do. So, no need to complicate issues here. It is not a matter of money. it is not a matter of complicated mechanism. CF hasn't this option, perhaps because users don't use or request this option. This is my opinion.

Emsisoft is not an alternative, because we are talking here just about Firewalls.

Anyway, I confess am not a big fan of lists.
During the last year (and after your tutorial here), new tools appeared at browsers. For example, at Firefox we have FIP, Containers, Cookie blocker, Trackers blocker (Disconnect list) etc... that significantly reduce tracking. Not to mention lot of new add-ons, 3rd-party blockers etc. In the security side, I never see any hosts list winning from Netcraft extension. Also the new Malwarebytes beta extension wins from any hosts list. Both, NetCraft + Malwarebytes are unbeatable.
All the combo working together, buiilt-in tools + extensions, minimize tracking, increasing privacy/security without affecting system performance. Also, 1 month ago, Firefox implemented DoH with CloudFlare.

In brief, I tend to see host files as part of the history.
They were important! But today, I am not sure.

Thanks @Umbra for your answers to me.
And I take the opportunity to also thank you for your great participation in this forum. I learn a lot from you.

Cheers

 

[Umbra]

@Umbra ,

Hosts lists are for free!

i know they are free, but if i was one doing them, i won't gave my list for free to companies using my work to sell their products, i would ask cash LOL

In brief, I tend to see host files as part of the history.
They were important! But today, I am not sure.

They are, now most of the adblockers/webfilters does better job.

Thanks @Umbra for your answers to me.
And I take the opportunity to also thank you for your great participation in this forum. I learn a lot from you.

Thanks, you are welcome