Avast Security for Mac - Core Shield Settings

File Shield is the main layer of active protection in Avast Security. It scans programs and files saved on your Mac for malicious threats in real-time before allowing them to be opened, run, modified, or saved. If malware is detected, File Shield prevents the program or file from infecting your Mac.

The following settings are available:

• Report Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs): allows File Shield to scan for and report programs that are stealthily downloaded with other programs and typically perform unwanted activity.
• Automatically move infected files to Virus Chest: sends the file to the Virus Chest where the file cannot harm your system.

You can also specify which files File Shield should ignore while scanning. To add a file to the exceptions list, follow these steps:

1. Click Add Exceptions.
2. Select the file you want to exclude, then click Open.
3. If prompted, use your Touch ID or enter your Administrator password and click OK.

The file appears in the exceptions list. To remove a file, click its path in the list, then click the trash can icon.

Web Shield is an additional layer of active protection in Avast Security. It scans data that is transferred when you browse the internet in real-time to prevent malware, such as malicious scripts, from being downloaded and run on your Mac.

The following settings are available:

• Report Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs): allows Web Shield to scan for and report programs that are stealthily downloaded with other programs and typically perform unwanted activity.
• Verify suspicious URLs using Avast's cloud service: allows Web Shield to check suspicious URLs against our database of malicious websites.
• Scan secured connections: scans websites with encrypted HTTPS connections. If disabled, only websites with unsecured HTTP connections are scanned.
• Automatically block pages with malicious content: allows Web Shield to block you from accessing websites when it detects malicious content.

To exclude a server from scanning, follow these steps:

1. Click Add Exceptions.
2. Type the URL name and select the service type.
3. Click Add.
4. If prompted, use your Touch ID or enter your Administrator password and click OK.

The server appears in the exceptions list. To remove a server from the list, click its name in the list, then click the trash can icon.

Email Shield is an additional layer of active protection in Avast Security. It scans your incoming and outgoing email messages in real-time for malicious content such as viruses. Scanning applies only to messages sent or received using a mail management software (email clients, such as Mail, Microsoft Outlook, or Mozilla Thunderbird). If you access your web based email account via an internet browser, your Mac is protected by other Avast Security shields.

The following settings are available:

• Report potentially unwanted programs: allows Email Shield to scan for and report programs that are stealthily downloaded with other programs and typically perform unwanted activity.
• Scan secure connections: enables scanning of emails sent or received using SSL/TLS encrypted connection.

To exclude a server from scanning, follow these steps:

1. Click Add Exceptions.
2. Type the URL name and select the service type.
3. Click Add.
4. If prompted, use your Touch ID or enter your Administrator password and click OK.

The server appears in the list. To remove a server from the list, click its name in the table, then click the trash can icon.