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How to block IEsnare
IEsnare has become a hot topic recently, as its manufacturers have been actively targeting the sports betting industry. It’s a piece of software that is widely used by bookmakers and, as many punters have recently discovered, is often installed without your permission or even knowledge. There has been a lot of controversy over whether the way IEsnare works is legal when it comes to data privacy, as well as the effect it has on the way betting websites treat users.
What is IEsnare?
It’s basically spyware. Spyware is a piece of software that can be used for legitimate purposes. It was initially developed to simply notify each time a program was used i.e. for licensing purposes. However, it can also be used to capture information for malicious purposes. IEsnare is not malicious software but what it does is something of a grey area.
Once IEsnare has been downloaded to your machine it sits and gathers information that is fed back to its manufacturer - iovation.com. IEsnare can be downloaded to any device, from a PC or a laptop, to a smart phone or a tablet and most virus protection software won’t block it, as it’s not considered to be malware. IEsnare monitors a wide range of information, including the pages that you visit, how long you spend on those pages, browser and operating system information and other unique data about your machine. You won’t know if your machine has downloaded IEsnare unless you look for it – unlike a virus (or some viruses, at least), there are no obvious signs that it is in your system.
What’s the problem?
Well, the major problem for many people is that IEsnare is downloaded without the consent of the person who owns the machine. Sometimes this happens when you set up an account with a betting website, sometimes all you need to do is just visit the betting website. IEsnare is never specifically referenced in the terms and conditions of the bookmaker you visit or sign up with – most will justify it under terms in a privacy policy for ‘collecting certain data that is essential to business operations.’ As a result, there is no requirement to consent to IEsnare and so your digital footprint can be indiscriminately harvested and used.
What is a ‘digital footprint’?
This is often how information gathered by software such as IEsnare is described. It is a snapshot of the device you’re using, and how you’re using it. It will contain information about your device such as what operating system you’re using, what browser you’re viewing the site with, what your IP address is, who your internet provider is and your location.This shows just how much information IEsnare can take from you. While some of it is fairly mundane, there is data there that could be very useful, not just to the business gathering it, but also to those who might want to use it maliciously.
How is IEsnare data used?
This is where the second problem arises. The data that is collected via IEsnare can be used to make judgments about internet users. So, for example, if you’re a bettor who constantly moves around between various different betting websites and exchanges you could end up being banned by certain sites on the basis of being a suspected matched bettor, arber or sharp punter.
But that’s only the data usage that we suspect/know about – there is no transparency over what the manufacturer actually does with all the information that it gathers. The issue here is that data is big business and there’s little way of knowing whether the information you unknowingly supply is being fed into fairly innocuous marketing schemes or being sold to spammers and hackers. A University of California study into the most enthusiastic purchasers of data like this found it to be overwhelmingly those looking to use it for spam or malware. If this information is being supplied to those who don’t have the best motives then it’s making it much simpler for them to succeed.
How do I know if IEsnare is already on my machine?
It’s pretty simple to find an IEsnare file on your computer – just search for it. Use the search function on your machine to look for it (e.g. Spotlight on Mac or Windows Search on PC). When you’re running a search for IEsnare you’re looking for the following:
#mpsnare.iesnare.com
#ci-mpsnare-iovation.com
mpsnare.iesnare.com
ci-mpsnare.iovation.com
If you find any of the above then IEsnare is already on your system
Can IEsnare be removed?
Yes, it’s possible to remove IEsnare – all you need to do is delete the folders that you find when you run the search on your machine. So, if you find any of the .com addresses listed above you need to delete these. This will remove all the history that IEsnare has stored about you. Unfortunately, although you can remove this history, it’s not possible to get your machine removed from the list it will have been placed on at Iovation.
As IEsnare is downloaded without your knowledge and consent – so you can’t see it happening - removing it from your machine isn’t enough. Its use is now so widespread that the likelihood is the next time you use a betting website you’ll find the same thing happens. Rather than continuously having to go in and delete the files using the process above, if you want to keep on using betting websites then you also need to block IEsnare to prevent the software from continuing to transfer your data.
Are there any downsides to blocking IEsnare?
IEsnare shouldn’t be on your device in the first place so, in theory, there should be no downside to making sure that your data is kept private. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that this could raise a red flag with some betting websites that you’re doing something you don’t want them to see. As more and more people become aware of IEsnare, the likelihood is that blocking it will become the norm. However, until then, there is a small risk that blocking it could make you stand out as someone that bookies should be aware of. Despite this, most experts would still recommend taking the step to block the software.
How does blocking IEsnare work?
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to stop IEsnare being downloaded onto your machine. However, you can stop the software reporting its data back, which makes it basically useless and means that what you do and how you do it remains private. It’s fairly simple to block IEsnare from being able to send this data back – there are different ways to do this depending on your operating system.
Blocking IEsnare – for Mac
To block IEsnare from a Mac you’ll need to edit the ‘hosts file.’ This is basically an operating system file that allows you to define which domain names (websites) are linked to which IP addresses.
Step 1 – navigate your way to Terminal. You’ll find this via Applications – Utilities. You can also get to it by doing a Spotlight search.
Step 2 – at the prompt to backup hosts file to documents folder enter:
sudo cp /private/etc/hosts ~/Documents/hosts-backup
Step 3 – you’ll be asked to enter the Administrator password for the machine at this stage. It’s worth noting that when you type it in, the letters won’t be visible on the screen. Once you’ve typed the password then hit Enter.
Step 4 - at the prompt to open hosts file enter: sudo nano /private/etc/hosts
Step 5 – this is where you modify the hosts file. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the bottom of the hosts file and at the following right at the end:
127.0.0.1 iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 http://www.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 mpsnare.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 http://www.mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 http://www.mpsnare.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 ci-mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 ci-mpsnare.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 http://www.ci-mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 http://www.ci-mpsnare.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 admin.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 http://www.admin.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 http://www.admin.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 iovation.com
127.0.0.1 iovation.co.uk
127.0.0.1 http://www.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 http://www.iovation.co.uk
127.0.0.1 http://www.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 admin.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 dra.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 impsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 mx.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 snare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 iovation.com
127.0.0.1 accountlock-demo.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 admin.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 bam-pilot.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 batch.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ci-accountlock.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ci-admin.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ci-mpsnare.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ci-snare.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 dv-fw-a-nat.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ioit.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 mx.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 p.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 rm-admin-demo.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 soap.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 test.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 testgw.iovation.com
Step 6 - Control+O followed by Enter will save the changes that you’ve made. To come safely out of the file, enter Control+X.
Blocking IEsnare – for PC
The end objective is the same if you’re working with a PC – you need to find and amend the ‘hosts file,’ which is the one that defines which domain names (websites) are linked to which IP addresses. To do this on a PC you’ll need to:
Step 1 – find ‘Run as Administrator.’ You can find this by navigating to the Start button and then selecting Run and Notepad. Once you find the Notepad application, don’t open it but right click on the application and then choose the option Run as Administrator.
Step 2 – Notepad will then appear and you can select File and then Open. Navigate to the drop down box on the right hand side and choose All Files (not Text Documents). To the left of this is the File Name box – type the following into the File Name box: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc and once you’ve finished typing press Enter.
Step 3 – this should open a window with a list of files in. At the top of the list is ‘hosts.’ Right click on it and then scroll down to the bottom of the menu that pops up and select ‘Properties.’
Step 4 – when the Properties window pops up, un-check the ‘Read only’ box. Press ‘Apply.’
Step 5 - a new window will appear with various lines of information running down it from hashtags on the left hand side. At the bottom you’ll see ‘127.0.0.1 localhost.’ Underneath 127.0.0.1 localhost copy and paste the following:
127.0.0.1 iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 www.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 mpsnare.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 www.mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 www.mpsnare.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 ci-mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 ci-mpsnare.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 www.ci-mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 www.ci-mpsnare.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 admin.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 www.admin.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 www.admin.iesnare.co.uk
127.0.0.1 iovation.com
127.0.0.1 iovation.co.uk
127.0.0.1 www.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 www.iovation.co.uk
127.0.0.1 www.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 admin.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 dra.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 impsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 mpsnare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 mx.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 snare.iesnare.com
127.0.0.1 iovation.com
127.0.0.1 accountlock-demo.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 admin.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 bam-pilot.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 batch.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ci-accountlock.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ci-admin.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ci-mpsnare.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ci-snare.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 dv-fw-a-nat.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 ioit.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 mx.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 p.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 rm-admin-demo.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 soap.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 test.iovation.com
127.0.0.1 testgw.iovation.com
Don’t leave any spaces between the two lines, make sure that the first line of the copy and paste starts right underneath 127.0.0.1 localhost.
Step 6 – navigate to File and then Save.
Step 7 – close Notepad and then shut down your machine. Restart again and the block should be up and running.
How do I know if that block is effective?
It’s simple to see whether the IEsnare block has worked using Command Prompt. Command Prompt is a command line interpreter application that essentially allows you to interact with your machine without a graphical interface. You’ll find it referred to on a PC as CMD and on a Mac it’s Terminal.
PC
Go to Start and then Run and then choose CMD. A black box will appear and into this you need to type: ping mpsnare.iesnare.com
You should receive an instant reply to this that looks like:
Pinging mpsnare.iesnare.com [127.0.0.1] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 timeReply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 timeReply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 timeReply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time
Mac
The instructions for checking for IEsnare on a Mac are the same as the above, except to get to the Command Prompt you need to go via Applications – Utilities – Terminal instead.
Summary
IEsnare is a good example of the ways in which corporates are using data to exert more control over users. However, knowledge is power – and the sooner you know about the presence of IEsnare on your machine, the sooner you can remove it and browse and bet online free from its monitoring.
