safezone settings

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I am feeling my way through the safezone browser and am a bit puzzled by one of the settings.

It seems that within the safezone browser, one can disable realtime security by toggling the security button (green=enabled, grey = disabled) after having clicked the settings (three vertical dots) icon.

Does disabling this function override the realtime security present with the base level AVAST antivirus software - or are we talking about two different protection systems here, one via the safe browser, the other via the antivirus software?

Or are they one and the same thing? In which case why have a security "disabling" function via the settings on the safezone browser when in reality the security protection is always on regardless of the safezone security setting.

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Is there no one who can help me with this query?

63 views and not one response.

The question again, in straightforward terms:

When I disable the security tab on Avast SafeZone (i.e. when it is not green but grey), what exactly is being disabled given that the security software is still running on the base Avasat program?

[Asyn]

Could you post a screenshot..!?

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Screen shot attached.

[Asyn]

Looks like AOS (Avast Online Security).

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Looks like AOS (Avast Online Security).

It is part of Avast SafeZone browser, which is only available when you buy the premium version. If you disable this online security (panel = grey), a level of online security is still enabled via the base software.

So all I want to know is:

Is there any difference between the online security software as part of Avast SafeZone browser and the online security software that is available on the base software? In terms of enabling and disabling, they are not locked together, they are independent of each other.

If there is a higher element of online security with Avast SafeZone browser, what is it that is lacking in the base level online security? And if there is a higher level, why provide a facility to disable it and thus rendering the SafeZone browser as being no different to a standard browser?

No one seems to be able to give me an answer to a simple question - namely, what is the difference between the online security that can be enabled and disabled as part of Avast SafeZone and the online security that is part of the base security software which has nothing to do with the Avast SafeZone browser.

If there is a difference, in what way might that manifest itself in terms of virus threats etc? In other words, if I disable the Avast SafeZone browser security, what could get through the enabled Avast base software online security onto my computer?

[Asyn]

Wait for one of the devs.

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Well I have done a bit of digging concerning this issue and my conclusions point to a "token" value additional level of security tagged onto the SafeZone browser. It is so "Token" that a disable option is provided - the very definition of a "SafeZone" browser means that it is mandatory to have a layer of security that transcends a conventional browser - being able to disable part of this higher level security throws the baby out with the bathwater.

I think it has simply been added as window dressing - it is intended to push home a message that SafeZone is the business with lots of added security, showing as a bright green when enabled and a dull grey when not - a perfect picture to  illustrate the "strength" you are giving to the browser when it is bright green.

But, it all seems an inordinately complex field, so I may be way off target, but short of any decent explanation, this is my conclusion. It seems to me that this "higher" layer of security is just a bit of a dabble with anti malware protection. As I understand things, Avast is not intended as anti-malware protection and one needs to install something like MalwareBytes ant-Malware software (at least that's what I have picked up on). You need to have two packages working together, one intended primarily with malware, the other with viruses.

So I think what Avasat is doing is pretending to be more than it is with their SafeZone browser and a superficially tagged on option (green =on, grey = off) of a "higher" layer of security. In reality I think this "higher" layer (i.e. the layer that can be toggled on or off, not the embedded layers protecting bank transactions and providing other facilities such as sand bagging etc) is there purely for window dressing.

This hasn't put me off Avasat, in fact the free version seems to get very good reviews. And I'm not necessarily against spending a bit of money to get the additional protection from the base level. What I do object to is this window dressing that is part of the "SafeZone"- call a spade a spade I say.

But I'm happy to be corrected here by someone who knows about these things - I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination and it does seem to be a fiendishly complex area.

[ondrejz]

Hi len7,

Thanks for feedback. We are working on new design of the settings so it will be more clear what the controls do.

Regarding to the Online Security. This is anti-phishing and anti-malware warnings. If you have all shields in Avast AV enabled, you will be always protected against malware no matter what you in browser settings. Online Security feature can recognize malware too and displays warning page instead.

From security perspective the additional value of the Online Security is now phishing protection . This is done independently on Avast AV.

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Hi len7,

Thanks for feedback. We are working on new design of the settings so it will be more clear what the controls do.

Regarding to the Online Security. This is anti-phishing and anti-malware warnings. If you have all shields in Avast AV enabled, you will be always protected against malware no matter what you in browser settings. Online Security feature can recognize malware too and displays warning page instead.

From security perspective the additional value of the Online Security is now phishing protection . This is done independently on Avast AV.

OK, I understand a little better now. It seems the additional layer that can be switched on or off within SafeZone is connected with phishing. It's nice to hear that switching this level off does not compromise in any manner the defence against malware and viruses.

Thanks for your reply.