MacPro 2GHz, MacBook 2.4GHz, MacBook 1.8Ghz, Mac OS X (10.6.6)
More Advanced users can block a lot of malicious sites on the Internet utilizing a host file addition. Including Intellitext, which is difficult to block individually.
1: Download the free TextWrangler from BareBones Software (it can edit system files easily, or use your favorite command line, pico, vi, etc)
2: Copy the Hosts file addition from this page (Select all, copy)
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.txt
3: Paste into Text Edit and remove line: 127.0.0.1 Localhost (very important!)
4: Use Text Edit "Find and Replace" to change all instances of 127.0.0.1 to 0.0.0.0
5: Save the file to the desktop for later trashing or retaining.
6: Launch Text Wrangler and Open File by Name: /etc/hosts
7: Leave what you see alone!, add returns to make space at the bottom and copy/paste the contents of the Text Edit file to the bottom of the /etc/hosts file.
8: Save the /etc/hosts file in Text Wrangler, it will need your admin password.
9: Bingo, you just blocked tons of malicious sites on the Internet.
10: Once in awhile you need to update just the portion you added to the /etc/hosts file as new stuff comes up all the time using the same exact proceedures oulined above.
11: If you want to block facebook for instance just add
0.0.0.0 www.facebook.com
and your computer blocks the site. It works because it consults the /etc/hosts file to resolve the IP before asking the DNS. 0.0.0.0 is nothing. (127.0.0.1 is "this computer" which causes some issues for OS X so 0.0.0.0 is used instead)
If you want the computer to ignore any linein the /etc/hosts file, just add a "#" (no quotes) in front of any line you want ignored.
Also this doesn't work for guest OS's in a virtual machine, as they resolve their hosts through their own file, which for Windows the rather complicated instructions are found here.
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm
If you want to block IP's, search and install NoobProof, avoid the Wizzard and on the left is a blacklist button. follow the instructions in the help.
Much more advanced users can use WaterRoof or edit their ipfw via the command line.
If this is beyond you, then don't take the above action. Your responsible if your machine gets hosed.
this is not restricted to 10.6 or intel - I just had the same happen with Safari 4.13 on my Powerbook - PPC tiger 10.4.11
Automatically downloaded safari.jsp file. What is it?
