Avast Secure Browser

Description

Avast Secure Browser is a Chromium-based web browser packaged with privacy and security capabilities by Avast Software with the default settings, and is aimed at users who want to have more than a regular web browser does in terms of privacy and security, without having to install a number of extensions and configure them manually. It shares the same rendering engine as well as web compatibility as Google Chrome, but strips Chrome of the integration with Google’s advertising and data collection infrastructure, and instead provides Avast’s own security layer: anti-phishing protection, a built-in ad blocker, a bank mode for financial transactions, and fingerprint masking to reduce cross-site tracking.

Avast launched the browser as an evolution of the SafeZone Browser that it had bundled with its antivirus software since the mid-2010s, rebranding and expanding it into a product of its own. The browser works independently of Avast’s antivirus products, but integration with Avast Antivirus provides additional levels of protection for users running both.

Ad and Tracker Blocking

The in-built ad blocker removes display advertisements, video pre-roll advertisements and tracking scripts from web pages without requiring the installation or configuration of an extension. Tracker blocking stops third-party tracking scripts from creating a profile of browsing activity between websites. The blocking engine automatically updates its filter lists from community-maintained block lists. A per-site exception list is a way to permit advertising on certain sites where the user is willing to support content creators.

Anti-Phishing Protection

Avast’s threat intelligence network provides real-time data to the browser’s system for checking URLs. Before a page is loaded, the browser checks the URL against Avast’s database of known phishing websites, scam pages, and malware distribution points. Pages marked as dangerous show a warning screen preventing access and explaining what category of threat was found, with an option to continue for users who are aware that the site is safe.

Bank Mode

Bank Mode opens a separate and isolated browser session for financial transactions. The session takes place in a protected environment that prevents keyloggers, screen capture malware and session hijacking tools from intercepting activity within the window. A different visual indicator — a green border or badge — identifies the Bank Mode session as protected. Users go to banking or payment websites within the Bank Mode window for the protected session, and close the window when they are done.

Privacy Guard and Fingerprint Masking

Websites and advertising networks recognize individual browsers using browser fingerprinting — gathering a combination of browser version, installed fonts, screen resolution, time zone, and other characteristics that, combined together, uniquely identify a user without using cookies. Avast Secure Browser scrambles or obscures parts of the fingerprint that can be read by websites, so the browser’s reported characteristics are less consistent – making fingerprint tracking less effective. The Privacy Guard settings panel displays which trackers each page tried to set and what the browser blocked.

Password Manager

The browser has a built-in password manager that saves and autofills passwords for websites. Saved passwords are stored in an encrypted local vault. A password health check identifies weak, reused and breached passwords across saved passwords and prompts updates for at-risk passwords.

Extensions

Avast Secure Browser supports Chrome Web Store extensions via its Chromium foundation. The extension store access and installation process is the same as Chrome’s and it enables the user to add any Chrome-compatible extension in addition to the browser’s own security features. Extension manager displays the requested permissions of each extension.

VPN Integration

A built-in VPN connects to Avast’s VPN service (Avast SecureLine VPN) directly from the browser interface. The VPN channels browser traffic through an encrypted tunnel to servers located in the chosen countries, hiding the IP address. Users with an Avast SecureLine subscription turn on full VPN access; limited free VPN bandwidth is available without a subscription.

Download Protection

Files downloaded via the browser are scanned against Avast’s database of threats before the download is finished. Flagged files are given a warning about the type of threat detected, with the options of either deleting the file or proceeding if the user trusts the source.