Thwart malware attacks with a hosts file

I’m flattered that Windows Secrets took my suggestion and published an article based on it. (Thanks, Scott!) I can’t give you a link because the article is only available to paid subscribers of the newsletter, but I will give you an excerpt:

By modifying the Hosts file yourself, you can prevent anyone using the PC without an administrator account from accessing unwanted sites. Prime candidates for blocking via this method are sites that host advertising, which can sometimes be a conduit for malware, as I explained in my Apr. 17 story.

To block a file served by the DoubleClick ad server, for example, you would add this line to your Hosts file:

127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net

My article on using a hosts file is the basis for this.  Do it. You’ll be safer on the web.