User Guides SpyHunter 4 HOSTS File Protection

HOSTS File Protection

SpyHunter 4 includes advanced features to protect your Windows HOSTS file from unauthorized tampering.

The HOSTS file is used by Windows to map domain names to IP addresses. When resolving a domain name, the HOSTS file is checked before your service provider's DNS servers are queried.

A malicious object can surreptitiously write an entry to your HOSTS file to transparently point a trusted domain name (such as www.enigmasoftware.com) to a malicious server that is in no way affiliated with the actual domain name. This opens the door for phishing activities and other confidence scams and seriously compromises the security on your PC. Fortunately, SpyHunter 4 offers a tool to prevent this from occurring.


Within the Network Sentry panel, by the "Activate HOSTS File Monitor" checkbox, SpyHunter provides a "View details" link that will display the contents of your Windows HOSTS file (2).

To turn HOSTS File Protection on, just check the "Activate HOSTS File Monitor" checkbox (1).

Once HOSTS File Protection is activated, SpyHunter will monitor your HOSTS file at a preset interval for any additions, deletions, or modifications. When SpyHunter discovers a change in the HOSTS file, it will alert you with a dialog window, displayed below.