New Update Osprey Browser Protection discussion and updates

Add-on/Extension Page
https://github.com/Foulest/Osprey
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/osprey-browser-protection/jmnpibhfpmpfjhhkmpadlbgjnbhpjgnd
https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/osprey-browser-protectio/nopglhplnghfhpniofkcopmhbjdonlgn
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/osprey-browser-protection/

Changes in 1.3.4​

  • Disabled CERT-EE by default due to false positives
  • Disabled Control D by default due to response times
  • Updated support contact info
  • Optimized image file sizes
  • Adjusted Control D URLs
  • Cleaned up code
This update has been submitted to all extension stores.
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github.com

Release 1.3.4 · Foulest/Osprey

Changes in 1.3.4 Disabled CERT-EE by default due to false positives Disabled Control D by default due to response times Updated support contact info Optimized image file sizes Adjusted Control D U...
github.com github.com
 
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Parkinsond said:
Assume as not using ControlD servers as dns resolver (only their database api), my location will not make a difference.
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That's what I thought also but before my previous comment, I went into Osprey's GitHub and checked the code to look for the database API link or something like that. I found, "https://freedns.controld.com/no-malware-typo" which is a DNS Over HTTPS address for ControlD when you manually choose Malware and Phishing in the custom configuration option on their webpage. So, I assumed it would be location dependent since it's the same address as DNS.
I could be wrong of course. Foulest will be able to clarify this.
 
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SeriousHoax said:
That's what I thought also but before my previous comment, I went into Osprey's GitHub and checked the code to look for the database API link or something like that. I found, "https://freedns.controld.com/no-malware-typo" which is a DNS Over HTTPS address for ControlD when you manually choose Malware and Phishing in the custom configuration option on their webpage. So, I assumed it would be location dependent since it's the same address as DNS.
I could be wrong of course. Foulest will be able to clarify this.
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If is select NextDNS DoH as my dns resolver in Edge settings, how can using Osprey extension change this setting?
 
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Parkinsond said:
If is select NextDNS DoH as my dns resolver in Edge settings, how can using Osprey extension change this setting?
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Osprey won't change any setting. It just queries the servers/API to check the status of the sites you visit. NextDNS is still going to work fine.
 
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SeriousHoax said:
@Foulest Wouldn't the response time vary from user to user based on the distance to the ControlD server? Or is it different in this case?
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Sorry, I should have clarified - response times, in this case, refer to support ticket response times regarding false positives. I keep track of everything relating to false positives.
 
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Foulest said:
What else could I do to make Osprey better? More recommendable? On the level of an ad-blocker, maybe? Features? Providers? Let me know.
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Hello Foulest, the only things that I can think of, besides integrating an ad blocker (perhaps Brave Browser or Ghostery has an API or something that they will let you use?), would be:

Continuing to clean up / limit the list of providers (quality over quantity).

See if you can get Malwarebytes to create an API or something that you can use.

See if you can get some holdouts (Bitdefender, Emsisoft, Avira, et cetera) to let you add them back as providers.

Get more people / organizations (EFF (Electronic Freedom Foundation) et cetera) / companies et cetera to join / support your project. Because I do not want to see your project die, having only one person keeping it alive is not good. I wish that organizations like the EFF would make an ad blocker or make Privacy Badger an ad blocker, and either back your project or combine theirs with yours. Or that other open source projects would join together with your project, and make Osprey Browser Protection The Free & Open Source Security Extension. I wish the same for uBlock Origin, because it could die without Gorhill (Raymond Hill), since it lacks enough support on the development side.
 
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goodjohnjr said:
Hello Foulest, the only things that I can think of, besides integrating an ad blocker (perhaps Brave Browser or Ghostery has an API or something that they will let you use?), would be:

Continuing to clean up / limit the list of providers (quality over quantity).

See if you can get Malwarebytes to create an API or something that you can use.

See if you can get some holdouts (Bitdefender, Emsisoft, Avira, et cetera) to let you add them back as providers.

Get more people / organizations (EFF (Electronic Freedom Foundation) et cetera) / companies et cetera to join / support your project. Because I do not want to see your project die, having only one person keeping it alive is not good. I wish that organizations like the EFF would make an ad blocker or make Privacy Badger an ad blocker, and either back your project or combine theirs with yours. Or that other open source projects would join together with your project, and make Osprey Browser Protection The Free & Open Source Security Extension. I wish the same for uBlock Origin, because it could die without Gorhill (Raymond Hill), since it lacks enough support on the development side.
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1. I won't be adding an ad-blocker, as the ad-blocker space is quite packed. It also wouldn't be fair to AdGuard, my partner. It would also overcomplicate Osprey.
2. I'll be doing some cleaning, mostly in the form of default settings, and making sure they're tuned for fewer false positives.
3. Malwarebytes is not interested, as they have a competing browser extension.
4. I'm in talks with a lot of companies, so hopefully, you should see more partnered providers in the following weeks.
5. I'm committed to this project. If, for whatever reason, the project gets abandoned, it's easily forkable. But, the business relationships formed in Osprey would not be transferrable, per se. So, a fork wouldn't be entitled to the same business relationships (i.e., partnered companies and providers).
 
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Foulest said:
1. I won't be adding an ad-blocker, as the ad-blocker space is quite packed. It also wouldn't be fair to AdGuard, my partner. It would also overcomplicate Osprey.
2. I'll be doing some cleaning, mostly in the form of default settings, and making sure they're tuned for fewer false positives.
3. Malwarebytes is not interested, as they have a competing browser extension.
4. I'm in talks with a lot of companies, so hopefully, you should see more partnered providers in the following weeks.
5. I'm committed to this project. If, for whatever reason, the project gets abandoned, it's easily forkable. But, the business relationships formed in Osprey would not be transferrable, per se. So, a fork wouldn't be entitled to the same business relationships (i.e., partnered companies and providers).
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Thank you for responding @Foulest, keep up the good work, and good luck.

I do hope that AdGuard will get better default settings for their web browser extension & app and get a GUI for the Linux version of their app, and improve their malicious / phishing / et cetera website detection.
 
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goodjohnjr said:
Thank you for responding @Foulest, keep up the good work, and good luck.

I do hope that AdGuard will get better default settings for their web browser extension & app and get a GUI for the Linux version of their app, and improve their malicious / phishing / et cetera website detection.
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If you could be more specific, I could relay that feedback to the right people.
 
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Foulest said:
If you could be more specific, I could relay that feedback to the right people.
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Thanks, I recently submitted a ticket with AdGuard to report issues when I tried the Linux version.

It was a pain, I am on the latest Ubuntu LTS, I had to do everything in terminal, to even get started I had to install CURL or whatever it was called to be able to even follow the terminal commands in their guide.

Then there were issues that I reported that their guide did not explain, support could not give me the details required for Linux, but I did give my feedback.

One thing that I did not get to report was that every time you restart your computer, you have to manually open terminal & start AdGuard again.

I just uninstalled it after that, until they get a GUI for AdGuard for Linux.

Back when I was using Windows I always had issues with AdGuard for Windows that I would report by forums, email, et cetera.

Same with the Android version.

I also reported my feedback & issues with the web browser extension back when I was on Windows.

It is more stable than the app, but it is not set it & forget it like uBlock Origin; so it is usually at the bottom of my list of ad blocking extensions.

I think that the malicious / phishing filters & default AdGuard Tracker filters should be enabled on default, allow acceptable ads should be opt-in not opt-out, during first install even if you select to enable the malicious protection it does not actually enable the security lists oddly, and it would be nice if it showed a count of what ads / trackers / et cetera it blocked on the icon & easily available when clicked on like with most other ad blocking extensions.

So I always end up using uBlock Origin / uBlock Origin Lite instead (unless when I am using Brave Browser), which does not have these issues, and sometimes I try Ghostery which has better defaults but has bugs sometimes & lacks malicious / phishing website protection.

I even used their AdGuard VPN briefly after it came out, but it would disconnect silently without me realizing it, so I got a refund.

Basically, I typically always have some issues & annoyances with AdGuard products, their public DNS is the only one that I could use consistently & that they would fix the bugs for that I reported.

I have a AdGuard lifetime license for my entire family, but have not really been able to put it to use much yet the last 2 or so years.

I check up on things from time to time, submit feedback sometimes to them, et cetera.

Thanks to your suggestion, I am currently back to testing AdGuard DNS public servers in place of Control D DNS free.

Anyway, that is enough of my jibber jabber.
 
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1. Do new services have a default enabled state?
2. Do enabled/disabled service changes/updates affect existing installations?
3. Should I propose a kid-friendly setting/mode displaying only blocking and safety info, considering Osprey's family protection services?
 
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