2

I'd like to limit web-browsing to number of websites owned by known internet companies, for example:

  • Google Websites
  • Microsoft Websites
  • Amazon
  • Yahoo
  • Ebay
  • News
  • Etc

I understand I can't do it myself because each of the websites is using external URLs and that's changing. So I am not sure what kind of mechanism would fit.

I think, if that would be firewall, it would have to be dynamic list of IP addresses (whitelist), which I can check via real-time mechanism like DNS, such list I should be able to use with existing infrastructure like web-proxy.

If I could download the whitelist I could implement it using firewall which can accept large number of entries, or using operating system functionality for URL / IP address filtering.

Alternatively, a blacklist of known offenders would be also good fit. I am aware of the number of lists but I am not sure which can be applied to the web-browsing experience, like mentioned web-proxy, firewall or anti-virus.

There are some solutions which can block websites "by category", such list would be also useful.

Anyway, what I am really looking for is to whitelist Google Servers, Microsoft Servers, not the specific category. I want to open access to the known networks. For example, this way, I could disable shared hosting networks but not in the machine is in Microsoft Network.

Improve this question
3
  • 1
    Have you considered proxy servers combined with firewall? Like squid for example.
    – Vini7
    Commented Oct 28, 2016 at 9:18
  • relize that this page hits 9 different domains. yes, 9. only one is stack-related
    – dandavis
    Commented Oct 28, 2016 at 18:48
  • Almost certainly those domains include content delivery network (CDN) IPs, and those CDNs back many, many domains. If you allow their IPs you will implictly allow other sites through. Blacklists can be found from URL reputation services, e.g. Kaspersky URL Advisor, Trend Micro Safety Center, and more - zeltser.com/lookup-malicious-websites
    – TessellatingHeckler
    Commented Nov 1, 2016 at 22:11

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

Assuming you are using windows machines (I think there is a way to it in Linux too), the old school way to do it is to point blacklisted sites to a dead IP address in your lmhosts file.

This article explains it better than I can and includes some links to sites that publish blacklists.

blacklist LMHOSTS site

Improve this answer
1
1

The idea of "perfect" whitelisting domain/url protection sound plausible but not practical nor usable. The problem : all those large internet house mentioned do run some sort of advertisement publishing network.

None of them can guarantee zero malvertiser activities, nor there is easy way to prevent a malware campaign. So the whitelist alone is pretty useless. As @Lucky_Lindy mentioned, blacklisting are more practical. You just need to remarks something inside blacklist if something broke.

Improve this answer
1
  • It was about IP addresses not the domain / urls. I am using it now on the firewall along with GeoIP to reduce attack surface from the internet while I am staging new services to internet as well when using it normally like browsing.
    – user128766
    Commented Oct 29, 2016 at 11:08

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .