Re: [Sheflug] Blocking cookie traffic

["Netsonic" <netsonic [at] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Johnson" <chris [at] seseaz.org.uk>
To: <shef-lug [at] list.sheflug.org.uk>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 10:59 AM
Subject: [Sheflug] Blocking cookie traffic


> One of our windows PCs has been contacting 'strange' websites.  I've run
> various AV software on the PC and it comes up clean.  Further
investigation
> suggested that its tracking cookies that are at work contacting the
outside
> world through the svchosts service.  However the website it accesses are
not
> always the same, but most end in akamai.com or akamaitechnologies.com.
This
> workstations software firewall blocks these now but I want something
network
> wide.
>
> We use IP cop for our network firewall and I know I can use the hosts file
> to block access to these sites by simply adding the line
>
> 0.0.0.0            www.offendingwebsite.com
>
> to it.  But the bit of the url that replaces the www bit seems to be
fairly
> random.  Is it possible to add a wild card to the hosts file so
> absolutely.anything.offendingwebsite.com is blocked?
>
> Is there a list of "bad cookie" sites that can be added to a hosts file to
> save me doing them all one by one?
>
> Chris Johnson
> (No not that one, the other one!)
> (running SUSE 9, 512MB PIII 600 (ish))


Chris,

Have you tried one of those spyware/advertising type scanner programs ?

I've heard in the past of advertising software that has been downloaded
(unknown to the user), and from time to time it kinda 'phones home'. Usually
fairly harmless but a real pain in the ass.

You might also check the uninstall list to see if there are any odd entries
which you know should not be there.

I eventually found a list of hostnames that are directly linked to
advertising type sites, and simply imported them into my hosts file and
pointed them all to 127.0.0.1 I think there was about 300 or so in the final
list, so it seemed fairly comprehensive!

Steve.


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