IE-SPYAD, spyware/hijacker blocking for IE

alanc · Mar 4, 2004

IE-SPYAD is a Registry file (IE-ADS.REG) that adds a long list of sites and domains associated with known advertisers, marketers, and crapware pushers to the Restricted sites zone of Internet Explorer. Once this list of sites and domains is "merged" into your Registry, most marketers, advertisers, and crapware pushers on the Net will not be able to use cookies, ActiveX controls, Java applets, or scripting to compromise your privacy or your PC while you surf the Net. Nor will they be able to use your browser to push unwanted pop-ups, cookies, or auto-installing programs on you.
Click to expand...

I came across this proggie recommendation at spywareinfo.com. Read about it and download HERE. It's easily uninstallable, and the restricted sites list is updated regularly. Looks like a good addition to Ad-aware, Spybot, and SpywareBlaster. I'm going to give it a try.

General_Lee_Stoned · Mar 4, 2004

good find Alan im looking into it now
dont forget you have to add the "Adult domains" seperately unless of course you want to keep them open

alanc · Mar 4, 2004

General_Lee_Stoned said:

dont forget you have to add the "Adult domains" seperately unless of course you want to keep them open
Click to expand...

I think I'll keep my options open on that one

AbbySue said:

Sounds like a good one alanc! Did you submit it to MG for possible inclusion in the download section here?
Click to expand...

Well I thought about doing that, but I thought that was intended primarily for S/W authors to submit their wares. Let me try it out and see what happens when I try to hit some of those "restricted sites" - if all goes well I'll go ahead and submit it.

NICK ADSL UK · Mar 4, 2004

Hi all that is indeed a very good piece of software and everybody will be well advised to use it as it keeps all bad sites from performing there worst on your computer

alanc · Mar 5, 2004

Well so far so good. Looks like it does what it claims to do, so methinks it's a keeper.

alanc · Mar 5, 2004

DV8Cowboy said:

what did you do with all those pRoN listings guy?....It reckons it might be a might cumbersome (among other things) to add them in as well. I don't go there, but still.
Click to expand...

The restricted sites .reg file size is 1MB, whereas the "adult" sites file size is only 128k, so I don't think it would be that big of a thing. I don't go there either (well, not usually ), so I didn't bother with it. Smart of them to split them into 2 files, but still I did notice some url's that look suspciously like pr0n in the "regular" list.

G.T. · Mar 5, 2004

alanc said:

...but still I did notice some url's that look suspciously like pr0n in the "regular" list.
Click to expand...

Possibly pr0n sites that do malicious thinks like hijacking and slipping in redialers, which are poison by anybody's standards.

alanc · Mar 5, 2004

DV8Cowboy said:

I submit that it might be a very good way to immunise a child's computer with this list. I think it would be worth a try...
Click to expand...

IMO a better way would be to use a good content filter proggie, rather than choking the hosts file with tens of thousands of blocked url entries. Plus, pr0n sites can be moving targets, maintaining the list would be a significant untertaking. From your same link:

Moreover, the list of potential adult domains is virtually endless and
ever growing.
Click to expand...

G.T. · Mar 5, 2004

I just installed IE-SPYAD this morning, and having the day off, decided to download the demos for Syberia 2 and Broken Sword, two adventure games I'm interested in. The sole official download site for Syberia 2 was stopped, now in the "Restricted Zone" as were most of the official links from the Broken Sword download site. Finally found viable safe downloads through Google after tripping over a few more.

Not complaining about IE-SPYAD, it's doing what it's supposed to. Just noting that this crap is becoming more and more common in normal everyday searches. The web gets ever-more annoying as time goes on.

Major Attitude · Mar 10, 2004

I have a few thoughts.

We dont spam you and the cookies keep you to get popups no more then once a day.

We dont like to post ad blocking software, no more then we would come to your workplace and steal from you. They are used by a very small number of people, so it does not hurt us, but we do not add ad blocking programs on principle. My personal favorite is shareware ad blocking programs.

Registry hacks are scary. This is silly. Theres better programs with interfaces that manage hosts files. Funny that people would trust someone with a double click registry hack, yet dont want harmless cookies on their machine someone claims is spyware, which are not. I think these programs should have an interface where you can block by websites that annoy you.

In the long run, these wont work if they get popular. Why? One word, survival. They can only block domain names. I, and ad companies, can buy hundreds of thousands of domain names to serve ads and eventually these programs will be obsolete, should that day come. Frankly, we are way ahead of the curve on this one and prepared for the future should these programs become standard on any popular browser. Like a store with theft problems as it starts to hurt business, we will become more aggressive in stopping people from stealing from us.

Log in or Sign up

IE-SPYAD, spyware/hijacker blocking for IE

alanc MajorGeek

General_Lee_Stoned BuZZed Lightyear

alanc MajorGeek

NICK ADSL UK MajorGeeks Forum Administrator Staff Member

alanc MajorGeek

alanc MajorGeek

G.T. R.I.P February 4, 2007. You will be missed.

alanc MajorGeek

G.T. R.I.P February 4, 2007. You will be missed.

Major Attitude Co-Owner MajorGeeks.Com Staff Member