Privacy

Nowadays massive data breaches, marketers tracking your every step online — the list of digital annoyances goes on and on. Keeping your privacy protected becoming crucial. Learn how Kaspersky application protects your privacy online, so you can manage and control your digital footprint.

Kaspersky VPN

Kaspersky VPN functionality is not available in some regions.

Available only in Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium.

The VPN connection is established using Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection, which is offered as part of Kaspersky Plus subscription plan. You can start Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection from the Start menu (in the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system or earlier version), from the start screen (in the Microsoft Windows 8 operating system or later versions), or from the window of Kaspersky application.

To start Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection from Kaspersky application window:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. In the Kaspersky VPN block, click the Use button.

This opens the main window of Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection.

More details about the operation of Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection are available in the help files of this application.

Caller ID

Kaspersky Who Calls is available in Russia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan as a standalone product. In Russia, the application is also available as part of Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium.

The Caller ID component can tell you who is calling from an unknown number and it is then up to you whether to pick up the phone or not. Phone numbers are checked against phone number databases of the Kaspersky Who Calls app. If a number is found in the databases, the incoming call screen displays information about that number, including the name of the organization associated with the number, the organization's category, and whether the caller is considered a spammer or this call is possibly useful.

Kaspersky Who Calls also supports Caller ID for incoming calls in WhatsApp.

You can configure all spam calls or specific categories of spam calls to be always blocked. Subsequently, all incoming spam calls will be automatically hidden.

To use Caller ID, you must download and install the Kaspersky Who Calls app on your mobile device.

If you purchase a Kaspersky subscription or the standalone Kaspersky Who Calls app only for one device and activate it on a computer with Microsoft Windows, the app will be unavailable. To access Kaspersky Who Calls, you need to activate the subscription on a mobile device or add more devices to your subscription.

How to download and install Kaspersky Who Calls

Data Leak Checker

This section explains how to check if your user account data can be accessed publicly.

About Data Leak Checker

Automatic checks for your My Kaspersky account and other accounts are available only for Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium plans. Other Kaspersky application plans only allow checking the My Kaspersky account manually.

Most users create accounts on various websites for work, shopping, and communication purposes. There is always the risk that attackers could hack the site and gain access to user data. If you use the same email address and password for different sites, it is more likely that your data will be leaked.

With Kaspersky application, you can check your user accounts for potential leaks. If the check reveals that your data may be publicly accessible, the application will notify you about it and display a list of sites from which a data leak could have occurred, the date of possible leakage, and the data that may be publicly accessible.

Kaspersky application also checks your accounts for data leaks to Darknet. If a leak is found, the application warns you about it.

When checking user accounts, Kaspersky application does not retrieve data in plaintext form, and uses it only for the specified check without storing it. On detecting a leak, Kaspersky application does not gain access to the user data itself, but only provides information about categories of data that may be publicly accessible.

Kaspersky application can notify you of a possible leak of the following categories of data:

• Personal data: for example, passport data, biometric data, data about age.
• Banking data: for example, numbers of credit cards and bank accounts, information about funds available on credit cards and bank accounts.
• Activity history: for example, authentication tokens, password history.

By default, Kaspersky application tries to check your user accounts when you are authorized on a particular website. During authorization, your email address used to sign in to the website is encrypted and forwarded to the KSN cloud. If the check reveals that your data may be publicly accessible, you will receive an appropriate notification. You can disable Data Leak Checker.

You can add up to 50 accounts for automatic checking. Lists of accounts in Kaspersky application are not synchronized between devices. Added accounts are checked once a day.

Adding accounts to the list for automatic checking may be unavailable in your region.

Kaspersky application periodically checks the email address linked to your My Kaspersky account. The first such check is performed 48 hours after installation of Kaspersky application. Further checks are made every 24 hours.

Data Leak Checker for My Kaspersky account does not work if Kaspersky application is not connected to My Kaspersky or the My Kaspersky account password is not entered in the application.

How to enable or disable Data Leak Checker

To enable or disable Account Check:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Select the Privacy section.
3. In the Data Leak Checker block, click the Search leaks button.

   This opens the Data Leak Checker window.

4. Use the toggle switch to enable or disable the Data Leak Checker component.

How to check if your data may become publicly accessible

To check if your data may become publicly accessible:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Select the Privacy section.
3. In the Data Leak Checker block, click the Search leaks button.

   This opens the Data Leak Checker window.

4. Specify your email address in the input field and click the Check button.

   Kaspersky application starts checking the specified address. If the check reveals that your data may be publicly accessible, the application will notify you about it and display a list of sites from which a data leak could have occurred, the date of possible leakage, and the data that may be publicly accessible. Clicking a data link will provide recommendations on how to minimize the consequences of a possible leak of this data.

   Kaspersky application lets you check for possible leaks of not only your own data, but from other user accounts that belong to your friends and family, for example.

How to create a list of accounts for automatic checking

To create a list of accounts for automatic checking:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Select the Privacy section.
3. In the Data Leak Checker block, click the Search leaks button.

   This opens the Data Leak Checker window.

4. Go to the Accounts tab and specify the email address of the account that you want to add to the list for automatic checking in the Check more accounts field. Then, click the Check button.

   The account you’ve added will be shown in the Accounts list.

5. The Recent sign-ins tab displays all attempts when the specified accounts were used to log in to sites and were checked.

Adding accounts to the list for automatic checking may be unavailable in your region.

Private Browsing

This section provides information on how Kaspersky application can protect you against tracking of your online activity.

About Private Browsing

Available only in Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus, and Kaspersky Premium.

Some websites use tracking services to collect information about your Internet activities. This information is then analyzed and used for the purpose of showing you ads.

The Private Browsing component is designed to prevent the collection of information about your online activity.

In detection mode, the Private Browsing component detects and counts attempts to collect data and writes this information in a report. Detection mode is enabled by default, and data collection is allowed on all websites.

In blocking mode, the Private Browsing component detects and blocks attempts to collect data, and information about these attempts are written in a report. In this mode, data collection is blocked on all websites except:

• by websites added to exclusions
• by websites of Kaspersky and its partners
• by websites that may be rendered inoperable as a result of tracking services being blocked, according to information available to Kaspersky

The counter of blocked attempts to collect data displays the total number of blockings across the entire site depending on how many site pages are open in the browser. If one page is open in the browser, only blocked attempts to collect data on this page of the site are counted. If several pages of the same site are open in the browser, the blocked attempts to collect data on all pages of the site opened in the browser are counted.

You can manage the Private Browsing component via Kaspersky application interface or with the help of the Kaspersky Protection extension in your browser.

Private Browsing has the following limitations:

• The application does not block data collection by the tracking service of the "Social networks" category while you are on the website of the relevant social network.
• If the web page from which the data collection attempt originated could not be determined, Kaspersky application does not block this data collection attempt and does not display information about it.
• If the web page from which the data collection attempt originated could be determined but could not be matched to any web page currently open in the browser, Kaspersky application applies the action specified in the Private Browsing settings (blocks or allows data collection). The application displays information about the data collection attempt in reports but does not include this information in the Private Browsing statistics displayed in the browser.

By default, the component is disabled.

Blocking data collection

To block data collection:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. Select the Private Browsing component, and click the icon.

   This opens the Private Browsing settings window.

4. If the component is disabled, enable it by setting the toggle in the upper part of the window to On.
5. Select the Block data collection option.

   Kaspersky application will block data collection attempts on all websites except exclusions.

6. If you want to block or allow data collection based on the categories of tracking services:
   1. Click the Categories and exclusions link to open the Categories and exclusions window.
   2. By default, data collection is blocked for all categories of tracking services and all social networks. Clear the check boxes opposite the categories of tracking services and social networks for which you want to allow data collection.

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Allowing data collection on all websites

To allow data collection on all websites:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. Select the Private Browsing component, and click the icon.

   This opens the Private Browsing settings window.

4. If the component is disabled, enable it by setting the toggle in the upper part of the window to On.
5. Select the Only gather statistics option.

   Kaspersky application detects and counts attempts to track your online activity without blocking them. You can view the results of the component's operation in the report.

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Allowing data collection as an exclusion

You can allow tracking of your activity on specific websites as an exclusion.

To allow data collection as an exclusion:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. Select the Private Browsing component, and click the icon.

   This opens the Private Browsing settings window.

4. If the component is disabled, enable it by setting the toggle in the upper part of the window to On.
5. Select the Block data collection option.

   Kaspersky application will block data collection attempts on all websites except exclusions.

6. By default, there is an exclusion to allow data collection on the websites of Kaspersky and its partners. If you want to block data collection on these websites, clear the Allow data collection on the websites of Kaspersky and its partners check box.
7. By default, there is an exclusion to allow data collection on websites that may be rendered inoperable as a result of data collection being blocked, according to information available to Kaspersky. If you want to block data collection on these websites, clear the Allow data collection on incompatible websites check box.

   Kaspersky application updates the list of incompatible websites as compatibility issues are resolved.

8. If you want to specify your own exclusions:
   1. Click the Categories and exclusions link to open the Categories and exclusions window.
   2. Click the Exclusions link to open the Private Browsing exclusions window.
   3. Click the Add button.
   4. In the window that opens, enter the address of the website on which you want to allow activity tracking, and click the OK button.

      The specified website is added to the list of exclusions.

You can also allow data collection on a chosen website while it is open in the browser.

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Viewing a report on attempts to collect your data on the Internet

To view a report on attempts to collect your data on the Internet:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. Select the Private Browsing component, and click the icon.

   This opens the Private Browsing settings window.

   If the component is disabled, enable it by setting the toggle in the upper part of the window to On.

The window displays a consolidated report with information about attempts to collect data on your online activity.

You can also view the report on data collection attempts in a browser or in the application performance report.

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Managing the Private Browsing component in a browser

You can manage the Private Browsing component directly in the browser:

• Enable the component if it is disabled;
• View statistics on detected attempts to collect data;
• Go to the Private Browsing settings window;
• Block or allow data collection.

To manage the Private Browsing component in the browser,

Click the  Kaspersky Protection button on the browser toolbar.

The menu that opens shows information about the operation of the component and the component controls.

Password Manager

This section contains information on how you can protect your passwords.

Checking and securely storing your passwords

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Available only in Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium.

If you are an active Internet user, you normally have to use many different passwords, such as when you visit websites of banks, social networks, and mail services. It is not convenient to use a large number of passwords because you have to remember which password you use on a particular website. This frequently causes users to resort to the easy solution of using one simple password on different websites. However, this is not a secure solution. A simple password that is used on several websites can be easily cracked or intercepted by hackers. If this happens with a password from a banking website, you risk losing your money.

Check password strength

Kaspersky application checks the security of passwords that you create on the Internet. If passwords are not secure enough, Kaspersky application can help you to create strong passwords and store them in a safe place.

Protect against using the same passwords

When you enter a password on a website where password security is especially important (such as on a social network), Kaspersky application prompts you to enable protection against the use of the same passwords.

If protection against the use of the same passwords is enabled, Kaspersky application checks whether or not you have previously used the password that you are entering on websites of the following categories:

• Websites of banks and payment systems;
• Social networks;
• Mail services.

If the password that you are entering has already been used on the websites of these categories, Kaspersky application notifies you about it and offers you to create a new password. You can select website categories, for which the use of the same passwords should be monitored.

Secure storage for passwords and documents

Kaspersky Password Manager is designed to keep your passwords and documents safe. It uses a special encrypted storage to securely store your personal information: passwords, identity data, financial or medical information.

You can download Kaspersky Password Manager from Kaspersky application window.

How to download and install Kaspersky Password Manager

How to start Kaspersky Password Manager from Kaspersky application window

See the Kaspersky Password Manager Help for instructions on using Kaspersky Password Manager.

How to check the safety of your passwords

Available only in Kaspersky Premium.

Your internet accounts are in grave danger if they have non-unique or weak passwords (for example, qwerty or 12345) and if the passwords are based on information that is easy to guess or obtain (for example, names of your relatives or dates of birth).

Kaspersky application can help you quickly check how complex your passwords are and if the same password is used in more than one account.

To check password safety:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Select the Privacy section.
3. Under Password Safety, do one of the following:
   • If you have not installed Kaspersky Password Manager yet, click View to go to the page where you can download this application. The name of the button can be Start or Open if Kaspersky Password Manager is not configured, out of date, or connected to a My Kaspersky account that does not match the account to which Kaspersky application is connected.

     This starts the installation of Kaspersky Password Manager. Follow the Wizard instructions.

   • Click Scan if the scan has not been run yet.
   • Click Details if the scan has already been run.

Scan results are displayed under Password Safety grouped by safety categories.

To learn more about password scans, refer to the Kaspersky Password Manager Help.

Configuring password security

To modify password security settings:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. In the Privacy settings section, select the Secure Data Input subsection.
4. Select the Show hints for creating strong passwords check box if you want Kaspersky application to check the strength of passwords that you create on websites and to provide recommendations on creating strong passwords.

   If you have Kaspersky Password Manager installed, the notification will recommend a strong password to you. If Kaspersky Password Manager is not installed, we recommend that you download and install it to make sure that you always create strong passwords.

5. Select the Warn about using the same passwords on websites check box if you want Kaspersky application to check whether or not you have previously used the password that you are entering or creating on the websites of banks, social networks, and mail services.
6. Click the Select website categories link to go to the Website categories window if you want to select the categories of websites for which the use of identical passwords must be checked.
7. Select the check boxes for the following categories:
   • Internet banks and payment systems. When you create or enter a password on the Internet, Kaspersky application checks whether you have used this password on the websites of banks and payment systems.
   • Social networks. When you create or enter a password on the Internet, Kaspersky application checks whether you have used this password in social networks.
   • Mail services. When you create or enter a password on the Internet, Kaspersky application checks whether you have used this password in mail services.

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Safe Money

This section provides instructions on how you can protect your financial transactions and purchases online with Kaspersky application.

About protection of financial transactions and online purchases

To protect confidential data that you enter on websites of banks and payment systems (such as bank card numbers and passwords for online banking), as well as to prevent funds from being stolen when you make online payments, Kaspersky application prompts you to open such websites in Protected Browser. If you select the option to open the website without Protected Browser, Kaspersky application does not prompt you to open that website in Protected Browser for the next 50 minutes.

Protected Browser is a special browser operating mode designed to protect your data as you access bank or payment system websites. Protected Browser is started in an isolated environment to prevent other applications from injecting their code into the process of Protected Browser. Kaspersky application creates special profiles for the Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome browsers to prevent third-party add-ons from affecting the operation of Protected Browser. The application does not affect your data that the browsers may save in the profiles created for them.

When you first open the Protected Browser, you will be prompted to copy data, settings, and plug-ins from your main browser. After completing the data migration, Kaspersky application will not keep your main browser and Protected Browser synchronized. This means, for example, that data deleted from your main browser will persist in Protected Browser. In this case, you must take steps to delete the same data from Protected Browser.

If you are using Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Internet Explorer, Protected Browser is opened in a new window.

The application uses the Kaspersky Protection extension to provide a number of Protected Browser functions.

Browsers that do not meet the software requirements cannot operate in Protected Browser mode. Instead of such browsers, either Chromium-based Microsoft Edge or another browser configured in application settings starts in Protected Browser mode.

It is impossible to run Protected Browser under the following conditions:

• The Enable Self-Defense check box is cleared in the Self-Defense settings window, Security settings → Self-Defense section.
• JavaScript is disabled in the browser.

Running Protected Browser in Yandex Browser

Kaspersky application supports securing your financial transactions in Yandex Browser with some limitations. To run Protected Browser, the application injects a special script into the web page (and traffic). The Kaspersky Protection extension is not available. The Private Browsing and Anti-Banner components operate but cannot be configured in Yandex Browser.

Protected Browser capabilities

In Protected Browser mode, the application provides protection against the following types of threats:

• Untrusted modules. The application runs a check for untrusted modules every time you visit a bank or payment system website.
• Rootkits. The application scans for rootkits at Protected Browser startup.
• Invalid certificates of bank or payment system websites. The application checks certificates when you visit a bank or payment system website. The check is performed against a database of compromised certificates.

Protected Browser status

When you open a website in Protected Browser, a frame appears on the borders of the browser window. The color of the frame indicates the protection status.

The frame and the information bar at the bottom of the browser window can display the following color indications:

• Green frame. Indicates successful completion of all checks. You can continue using Protected Browser. If you still have any problems, click the Report a problem button on the information bar.
• Yellow frame. Indicates that checks have revealed security problems that need to be resolved or some protection components are turned off. The list of security issues will be displayed at the bottom right corner of the browser window. You can perform suggested actions or close these notifications.

  The application can detect the following threats and security problems:

  • Untrusted module. Computer scanning and disinfection is required.
  • Rootkit. Computer scanning and disinfection is required.
  • Invalid certificate of a bank or payment system website.
  • Self-Defense is turned off.

  If you do not eliminate the threats detected, the security of the bank or payment system website connection session is not guaranteed. Events involving the launch and use of Protected Browser with reduced protection are recorded in the Windows event log.

  The following protection components can be turned off:

  • System Watcher
  • Network Attack Blocker
  • Safe Browsing
• Red frame. Indicates that File Anti-Virus is turned off. A warning message will appear at the bottom right corner of the browser window. You can turn on File Anti-Virus or close the warning.

About protection against screenshots

To protect your data when you browse protected websites, Kaspersky application prevents spyware from taking unauthorized screenshots. Protection against screenshots is enabled by default. Protection against screenshots is running even if hardware virtualization is disabled.

About clipboard data protection

Kaspersky application blocks unauthorized access by applications to the clipboard when you make online payments, thus preventing theft of data by criminals. Such blocking is active only if an untrusted application attempts to obtain unauthorized access to your clipboard. If you copy data manually from the window of an application to another application's window (for example, from Notepad to a text editor window), access to clipboard is allowed.

Clipboard protection is not running if hardware virtualization is disabled on your computer.

If Protected Browser is started under the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, Kaspersky application will block interaction of Universal Windows applications with the clipboard.

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How to change Safe Money settings

To configure Safe Money:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. Select the Privacy settings section.
4. Click the Safe Money button.

   The window displays the settings of the Safe Money component.

5. Enable Safe Money by clicking the switch in the upper part of the window.
6. In the On first access to websites of banks and payment systems section, select the action to be performed by the application when you first open a bank or payment system website in your browser:
   • Select Run Protected Browser if you want the application to open the website in Protected Browser.
   • Select Ask user if you want the application to ask you whether or not you want to open the website in Protected Browser when you visit the website.
   • Select Do not run Protected Browser if you want the application not to open the website in Protected Browser.
7. In the Additional section, open the To proceed to websites from the Safe Money window, use drop-down list and select the browser that the application will run in Protected Browser mode when you visit a bank or payment system website from the Safe Money window.

   You can select one of the browsers installed on your computer or use the default browser of the operating system.

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How to configure Safe Money for a specific website

To configure Safe Money for a specific website:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. Select the Safe Money section, and click the View websites button.

   This opens the Safe Money window.

4. Click the Add website to Safe Money link to open fields for adding the website information.
5. In the Website for Safe Money (URL) field, enter the web address of the website that you want to open in Protected Browser.

   A website address must be preceded by the prefix for the HTTPS protocol (for example, https://example.com), which is used by default by Protected Browser.

6. Select the action that you want Protected Browser to perform when you open the website:
   • If you want the website to open in Protected Browser every time you visit it, select Run Protected Browser.
   • If you want Kaspersky application to prompt you for an action when the website is opened, select Ask user.
   • If you want to disable Safe Money for the website, select Do not run Protected Browser.
7. Click the Add description link to open the Description field and enter the name or description of this website.
8. Click the Add button.

The website will be displayed in the list.

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How to send feedback on Safe Money

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You can send to Kaspersky your feedback on the operation of the Safe Money component or report a problem in this component.

How to send feedback

How to report a problem

If Kaspersky application fails to send your feedback (for example, Internet connection is not available), this feedback is saved to your computer. Feedback is stored openly for 30 days.

You can send feedback on the operation of the Safe Money component up to 10 times per day.

You can also send feedback after the Safe Money component is disabled. After the component is disabled, you can send feedback once per month.

Webcam and Mic Control

This section contains information on how to prevent spying through your webcam and eavesdropping through your microphone.

Available only in Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus, and Kaspersky Premium.

About application access to the webcam and microphone

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Intruders may attempt to spy on you using your webcam or eavesdrop on you by gaining access to your microphone. Kaspersky application protects your webcam and microphone from unauthorized access if the Webcam and Mic Control component is enabled. In component settings, you can block all application access to webcam and microphone or request to be notified whenever an application tries to gain access to your webcam or microphone.

If the component is enabled, but access to your webcam and mic is not fully blocked, access is granted or denied based on the trust group that the relevant application is part of. Access is blocked for applications in the High Restricted or Untrusted groups.

In the Intrusion Prevention settings window, you can allow access to the webcam or mic for applications included in the High Restricted and Untrusted groups. If an application from the Low Restricted group is trying to gain access to the webcam or microphone, Kaspersky application blocks the access and notifies you if you have configured notifications in component settings.

In the drop-down list of the notification, you can block application access to webcam or microphone, or go to access settings. The notification is not displayed if some applications are running in full-screen mode on your computer.

In the drop-down list of the notification, you can choose to hide notifications or proceed to configure notification display settings.

How Kaspersky application manages the webcam

How Kaspersky application manages the microphone

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How to change settings of application access to the webcam or microphone

To change settings of application access to the webcam or microphone:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. In the Privacy settings section, select the Webcam and Mic Control component.
4. Under Webcam settings, select one of the following actions:
   • Notify if an app is using the webcam. Applications that have access by default will be allowed access to the webcam. A notification will be displayed, informing the user that a specific application is using the webcam.

     This setting is not available if the Block all apps from accessing the webcam action is selected.

   • Connect without notification. Clicking this link opens the list of applications which connect to the webcam without notifications. To exclude an application from the list, select it and click Notify. The option is unavailable if the list is empty.
   • Block all apps from accessing the webcam. Webcam access is blocked for all applications installed on your computer.
   • Blocked applications. Clicking this link opens the list of applications for which access to the webcam is blocked. To exclude an application from the list, select it and click Allow. The option is unavailable if the list is empty.
5. Under Mic settings, select one of the following actions:
   • Notify if an app is using the mic. Applications that have access by default will be allowed access to the microphone. A notification will be displayed, informing the user that a specific application is using the microphone.

     This setting is not available if the Block all apps from accessing the mic action is selected.

   • Connect without notification. Clicking this link opens the list of applications which connect to the mic without notifications. To exclude an application from the list, select it and click Notify. The option is unavailable if the list is empty.
   • Block all apps from accessing the mic. Mic access is blocked for all applications installed on your computer.
   • Blocked applications. Clicking this link opens the list of applications for which access to the mic is blocked. To exclude an application from the list, select it and click Allow. The option is unavailable if the list is empty.

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How to allow or block access to the webcam for an individual application

To allow or block access to the webcam for an application:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Security section.
3. Select the Intrusion Prevention component.
4. Click the Manage applications link to open the Manage applications window.
5. In the list, select the application for which you want to allow access to sound recording devices. Double-click the application to open the Application rules window.
6. In the Application rules window, go to the Rights tab.
7. In the list of rights categories, select Operating system modification → Suspicious modifications in the operating system.
8. Select Access webcam.
9. In the Action column, select Allow or Deny.
10. Click Save.

If you select Block all apps from accessing the webcam, application access to the webcam is blocked regardless of the trust group and manually configured permissions.

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How to allow or block access to the mic for an individual application

To allow or block access to the mic for an application:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Security section.
3. Select the Intrusion Prevention component.
4. Click the Manage applications link to open the Manage applications window.
5. In the list, select the application for which you want to allow access to the mic and double-click to open the Application rules window.
6. In the Application rules window, go to the Rights tab.
7. In the list of rights categories, select Operating system modification → Suspicious modifications in the operating system → Access sound recording devices.
8. In the Action column, select Allow or Deny.
9. To receive notifications about instances of applications being allowed or denied access to the audio stream, in the Action column, click the icon and select Log events.
10. Click Save.

If you select Block access for all applications, application access to the mic is blocked regardless of the trust group and manually configured permissions.

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Detection of stalkerware and other applications

Some legitimate applications can be used by criminals to steal your personal data and spy on you. Most of these applications are useful, and many people benefit from using them. These applications include IRC clients, autodialers, file downloaders, system activity monitors, password management utilities, FTP, HTTP, or Telnet servers.

However, if criminals get access to these apps on your computer or manage to covertly deploy them there, they will be able to use some of the functionality to steal your personal data or commit other illegal actions.

Below you will information about various types of software that criminals can use.

You can enable protection from stalkerware and other applications that can be used by criminals, and we will warn you if we discover such applications.

To enable protection from stalkerware and other applications:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. Go to Security settings → Exclusions and actions on object detection.
4. In the Stalkerware and other applications section, select check boxes:
   • Detect stalkerware

     For protection from applications that help criminals gain access to your location, messages, or websites and social networks you visit.

   • Detect legitimate apps that intruders can use to damage your computer or personal data

     For protection from applications that criminals can use to download malware to your computer or use your computational resources for their nefarious purposes. Kaspersky application does not detect remote administration applications that are considered as trusted.

If these check boxes are cleared, you may receive notifications about some applications from the table above because they are included in special categories and are processed by default regardless of application settings, for example: RemoteAdmin, PSWTool, Monitor.

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Anti-Banner

This section provides information on how Kaspersky application can protect you against ad banners on the Internet.

About Anti-Banner

Available only in Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus, and Kaspersky Premium.

The Anti-Banner component is designed to provide protection against banners while you browse the web. Anti-Banner blocks banners shown on the websites that you visit and in the interface of some applications. Anti-Banner blocks banners from the list of known banners which is embedded in Kaspersky application databases. You can manage the blocking of banners via Kaspersky application interface or directly in the browser.

By default, banners are allowed on websites from the list of Kaspersky websites. This list is compiled by Kaspersky experts and includes Kaspersky websites and its partners' websites that host Kaspersky advertisements. You can view this list or disable the use of this list if you consider it necessary to block banners on the websites of Kaspersky and its partners.

The blocked banners counter displays the total number of blocked banners across the entire site depending on how many site pages are open in the browser. If one page is open in the browser, only blocks on this page of the site are counted. If several pages of the same site are open in the browser, the blocked banners on all pages of the site opened in the browser are counted.

Information about the operation of Anti-Banner is available in reports.

The following limitations apply to Anti-Banner:

• Some sites detect that ads on their pages are blocked and do not show content until the user turns off the ad blocker. To view the content of such site, you need to add its address to exclusions.
• If the web page on which the banner is located could not be determined, Kaspersky application does not block this banner and does not display information about it.
• If the web page on which the banner is located could be determined but could not be matched to any single web page opened in the web browser, Kaspersky application blocks the banner or allows the banner to be displayed depending on the information that has been determined. The application displays information about the banner in reports but does not include this information in the Anti-Banner statistics displayed in the browser.
• The Anti-Banner statistics displayed in the browser can include banners blocked the previous time the web pages loaded, including banners blocked previously and loaded again.
• The Anti-Banner statistics displayed in the browser do not include banners that were blocked in dynamic content of a page after a website has been loaded.

How to enable the Anti-Banner component

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The Anti-Banner component is disabled by default. You can enable it via Kaspersky application interface or with the help of the Kaspersky Protection extension in your browser.

How to enable Anti-Banner in Kaspersky application interface

How to enable Anti-Banner in the browser window

After enabling or disabling Anti-Banner, you must reload the web page in the browser for the changes to take effect.

Blocking banners

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Anti-Banner blocks website banners from the list of known banners which is embedded in Kaspersky application databases. If a banner is displayed on a web page even while Anti-Banner is running, this could mean that the banner is not in the list of known banners. You can manually block the display of this banner.

To block a banner, you must add it to the list of blocked banners. You can do this directly on the web page or in Kaspersky application.

If a banner is on a website from the list of websites with allowed banners, you cannot block the display of this banner.

How to block a banner on a web page

How to block a banner in Kaspersky application

Allowing banners

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You can allow an individual banner as well as all banners on a website that you specify.

How to allow an individual banner

How to allow all banners on a website

How to configure Anti-Banner filters

To configure Anti-Banner filters:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. Select the Privacy settings section.
4. Select the Anti-Banner component.

   This opens the Anti-Banner settings window.

5. Enable the Anti-Banner component by clicking the switch in the upper part of the window.
6. Click the List of filters link to open the List of filters window.
7. In the List of filters window, configure the filters as necessary:
   • Recommended. This group includes the general filter and language filter corresponding to your region. These filters are enabled by default.
   • Thematic. This group includes two filters:
     • Social media. Enable this filter if you want to block items such as the Like and Share buttons on websites of social networks.
     • Annoyances. Enable this filter if you want to block pop-up messages, windows and other elements that do not belong to the particular website.
   • Language-specific. In this group of filters, you can select a language. The application will block banners on websites in the specified language.

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How to manage Anti-Banner in the browser

You can manage the Anti-Banner component directly in the browser by using the Kaspersky Protection extension.

The Kaspersky Protection extension lets you perform the following actions:

• Enable and disable the component
• View the statistics for blocked banners
• Go to the Anti-Banner settings window
• View information about whether or not banners are blocked on a website opened in the browser, and manage the display of banners on a website

How to manage the Anti-Banner component via the Kaspersky Protection extension

Unwanted App Installation Blocker

Sometimes you are installing a program only to find out later that you have installed several more applications you have not requested along with the one you wanted. Sounds familiar? These unwanted applications are installed without your knowledge and may spam you with ads or even change your default browser.

Enable the Unwanted App Installation Blocker in the Privacy section, to forget about this issue once and for all. The Unwanted App Installation Blocker will automatically clear the check boxes for any additional applications suggested for installation to save you the trouble of unchecking them manually.

You can also enable the Unwanted App Installation Blocker in the Application Manager settings window.

To do this, select the During installation of applications, automatically clear check boxes for installation of additional software. Warn about any attempts to install additional programs check box.

Unwanted App Installation Blocker may not support all applications that can be installed. If an installable application is not supported, it will be impossible to block the installation of unwanted apps. The list of supported installable applications is constantly expanded by our experts.

How to change Application Manager settings

Available only in Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus, and Kaspersky Premium.

To change Application Manager settings:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Select the Privacy section.
3. In the Unwanted App Installation Blocker block, click .

   This takes you to the Application Manager settings window.

4. In the Unwanted App Installation Blocker group of settings, select the During installation of applications, automatically clear check boxes for installation of additional software. Warn about any attempts to install additional programs check box to block installation of additional software during installation of new applications. If unwanted operations are prevented during installation of the new application, Kaspersky application will notify you about this.

   If the check box During installation of applications, automatically clear check boxes for installation of additional software. Warn about any attempts to install additional programs was cleared after you started installing a certain application, the Unwanted App Installation Blocker continues to run for the duration of the current installation. Check boxes opposite applications offered for additional installation are cleared, and the additional applications themselves are not installed. This functionality will be disabled during the next installation. Additional applications will be installed together with the main application.

5. Select the Do not display installation steps that may contain advertisements and offers to install additional programs check box to block the display of installation steps with ads during installation of new software on the computer. If such installation steps are removed, Kaspersky application will notify you about this.

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Adware Remover

Do you get a lot of annoying ads? Kaspersky application can delete from your PC the apps that display ads in your browsers and on your desktop. In addition to adware, we will also remove any autodialer tools and packed files that may contain viruses and other threats. Enable the Adware Remover to never see those annoying ads again.

To remove adware:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. Turn on the Adware Remover functionality.

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Secret Vault

This section describes how to protect data using secret vaults.

About Secret Vault

Available only in Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium.

Secret Vaults is designed to protect your confidential data against unauthorized access. A Secret Vault is a data storage on your computer that you can lock or unlock using the password that only you know. You have to enter the password to modify the files stored in a secret vault. If you have entered an invalid password 10 times in a row, access to the secret vault is blocked for one hour.

If you lose or forget the password, you will not be able to recover your data.

To create a secret vault, Kaspersky application uses the AES XTS data encryption algorithm with an effective key length of 56 bits.

If the FAT32 file system is used on your computer, you can create secret vaults no more than 4 GB in size.

How to move files to a secret vault

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To move files to a secret vault:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. In the Secret Vault section, perform one of the following:

If you do not have a secret vault yet

If you already have a secret vault

When adding files with identical names, which differ only in character case, to the secret vault, one of the files can be unavailable when trying to open the secret vault. To avoid data loss, we recommend adding such files to different secret vaults or changing the file names to completely unique ones.

How to access files stored in a secret vault

To access files stored in a secret vault:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. In the Secret Vault block, click the I already have a secret vault button.

   This opens the Secret Vault window.

4. Click Unlock next to your secret vault.
5. Enter the password and click the Open in Windows Explorer button.

Files stored in the secret vault appear in the Explorer window. You can edit the files as needed or add new files and close the secret vault again.

Trying to open a secret vault that you have renamed may cause an error. To avoid this, we recommend that you open the secret vault you want to rename, extract your data, and create a new secret vault with this data, giving it a different name.

Sometimes opening secret vaults created in other Kaspersky applications can require converting the secret vaults from the old format to the new format. When you try to open a secret vault in Kaspersky application interface, Kaspersky application will suggest conversion if necessary.

Secret vault conversion to the new format can take a long time depending on the secret vault size.

If, when removing Kaspersky application, in the Save the following data on this computer for reuse window, the Operational settings of the application check box is cleared and the Secret Vault check box is selected, the next time you install the current or future version of Kaspersky application, you will need to add the secret vaults manually by clicking the I already have a secret vault link in the Secret Vault window.

File Shredder

Available only in Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium.

Added security of personal data is ensured by protecting deleted information against unauthorized recovery by hackers.

Kaspersky application contains a permanent data deletion tool that makes data recovery using standard software tools impossible.

Kaspersky application makes it possible to delete data without the possibility to recover it from the following data media:

• Local drives. Deletion is possible if you have the rights required for writing and deleting data.
• Removable drives or other devices that are recognized as removable drives (such as floppy disks, memory cards, USB disks, or cell phones). Data can be deleted from a memory card if its mechanical protection from rewriting is disabled.

You can delete the data that you can access under your personal account. Before deleting data, make sure that it is not used by running applications.

To permanently delete data:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. In the File Shredder block, click the Select files button.

   This opens the File Shredder window.

4. Click the Browse button, and in the Select files to delete window that opens select the folder or file to be deleted permanently.

   Deletion of system files and folders may cause operating system malfunctions.

5. In the Data deletion method drop-down list, select the requisite data deletion algorithm.

   To delete data from SSD and USB devices, it is recommended to apply Quick delete (recommended) or GOST R 50739-95, Russia. Other deletion methods might damage an SSD or a USB device.

   • Quick delete (recommended). The deletion process consists of two cycles of data overwriting: writing zeros and pseudo-random numbers. The main advantage of this algorithm is its performance. Quick deletion prevents data recovery using standard recovery tools.
   • GOST R 50739-95, Russia. The algorithm carries out one overwriting cycle using pseudo-random numbers and protects the data from recovery by common tools. This algorithm corresponds to protection class 2 (out of 6), according to the Russian State Technical Commission classification.
   • Bruce Schneier Algorithm. The process consists of seven overwriting cycles. The method differs from the German VSITR in terms of its overwriting sequence. This enhanced method of data deletion is considered one of the most reliable.
   • VSITR standard, Germany. Seven overwriting cycles are performed. The algorithm is considered reliable but requires considerable time for execution.
   • NAVSO P-5239-26 (MFM) standard, USA, and NAVSO P-5239-26 (RLL) standard, USA. Three overwriting cycles are used. The standards differ from one another in terms of the sequence in which they overwrite information.
   • DoD 5250.22-M standard, USA. The algorithm carries out three overwriting cycles. This standard is used by the U.S. Department of Defense.
6. Click Delete.
7. In the deletion confirmation window that opens, click Delete.

Files that are being used by a third-party application cannot be deleted.

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Privacy Cleaner

User actions on a computer are recorded in the operating system. The following information is saved:

• Details of search queries entered by users and websites visited
• Information about started applications, as well as opened and saved files
• Microsoft Windows event log entries
• Other information about user activity

Intruders and unauthorized persons may be able to gain access to confidential data contained in information on past user actions.

The application includes:

• The Privacy Cleaner wizard, which cleans up traces of user activity in the operating system.
• The Restore settings wizard, which rolls back the changes that were previously made by the Privacy Cleaner wizard. This option is available if activity traces have been removed by the Wizard before.

To run the Privacy Cleaner wizard:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. In the Privacy Cleaner block, click the Find button.
4. Then, you will be asked to close all browser windows and continue.
5. The Wizard performs a search for activity traces on your computer. This may take a while. When the search is complete, the Wizard proceeds automatically to the next step.
6. If you need to turn on automatic removal of activity traces, switch the Automatic removal of activity traces toggle to On, create a schedule for cleaning sessions and specify your Windows account and password.
7. Specify which data needs to be removed in the Select actions block and click the Save and remove button or the Remove button if you did not change the list of actions.

   To view actions that have been included into a group, expand the list of the selected group. To make the Wizard perform a certain action, select the corresponding check box next to the action. By default, the Wizard performs all recommended and strongly recommended actions. If you do not want to perform a certain action, clear the check box next to it.

   It is strongly recommended that you not clear the check boxes selected by default, as doing so will leave your computer vulnerable to threats.

8. The Wizard performs the actions selected during the previous step. The clean-up of activity traces may take some time. To clean up certain activity traces, it may be necessary to restart the computer; if so, the Wizard notifies you.

To run the Restore settings wizard:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Go to the Privacy section.
3. In the Privacy Cleaner block, click the Restore settings button.
4. The Wizard performs a search for modified settings. This may take a while. When the search is complete, the Wizard proceeds automatically to the next step.
5. Select which settings needs to be restored and click the Restore button.
6. Then, you will be notified that the operation is complete. The operation may take some time. To restore certain activity traces, it may be necessary to restart the computer; if so, the Wizard notifies you.

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Protection using hardware virtualization

In this section, you will learn how you can protect your computer using hardware virtualization.

About protection using hardware virtualization

When Kaspersky application is installed in 64-bit Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows 8.1 or Microsoft Windows 10, it uses

Protection using hardware virtualization is enabled by default. If protection has been disabled manually, you can enable it in the application settings window.

On computers running 64-bit Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows 8.1 or Microsoft Windows 10, the protection provided by Kaspersky hardware virtualization (hypervisor) has the following limitations:

• This feature is not available when a third-party hypervisor is running, such as the hypervisor used by the VMware virtualization software. After you close the third-party hypervisor, protection against screenshots becomes available again.
• The feature is not available if the CPU of your computer does not support hardware virtualization technology. For more details on whether your CPU supports hardware virtualization, please refer to the documentation shipped with your computer or to the website of the CPU manufacturer.
• The feature is not available if a third-party hypervisor (such as the VMware hypervisor) is running when you start Protected Browser.
• The feature is not available if hardware virtualization is disabled on your computer. For details on how to enable hardware virtualization on your computer, please refer to your computer's technical documentation or visit the website of your processor's manufacturer.
• The feature is not available if Device Guard is enabled in the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system.
• The feature is not available if Virtualization Based Security (VBS) is enabled in the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system.

How to enable protection using hardware virtualization

To enable protection using hardware virtualization:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. Go to Privacy settings → Secure Data Input.
4. Select the Use hardware virtualization if available check box. This check box is displayed when the application is installed on a 64-bit version of Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.
5. Select the Use advanced features of hardware virtualization check box if you want to turn hardware virtualization on when the operating system starts.

   The availability of this option depends on whether a boot hypervisor is installed on this computer and on the operational parameters of Kaspersky application drivers.

If hardware virtualization is disabled on your computer, protection using hardware virtualization will be disabled.

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Protecting personal data on the Internet

This section provides information about how to make your Internet browsing safe and protect your data against theft.

About protection of personal data on the Internet

Kaspersky application helps you to protect your personal data against theft:

• Passwords, user names, and other registration data
• Account numbers and bank card numbers

Kaspersky application includes components and tools that allow you to protect your personal data against theft by criminals who use methods such as

Protection against phishing is provided by Anti-Phishing, which is implemented in the Safe Browsing component. Enable these components to ensure comprehensive protection against phishing.

Protection against interception of data entered on the keyboard is provided by On-Screen Keyboard and Secure Keyboard Input.

The Privacy Cleaner Wizard clears the computer of all information about the user's activities.

Safe Money and Kaspersky VPN protect data when you use Internet banking services and shop on online stores.

Kaspersky VPN functionality is not available in some regions.

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About On-Screen Keyboard

When using the Internet, you frequently need to enter your personal data or your user name and password. This happens, for example, during account registration on websites, online shopping, and Internet banking.

There is a risk that personal data can be intercepted by hardware keyboard interceptors or keyloggers, which are programs that record keystrokes. The On-Screen Keyboard tool prevents the interception of data entered via the keyboard.

Many programs classified as spyware can take screenshots, which then are automatically transmitted to an intruder for further analysis to steal the user's personal data. On-Screen Keyboard protects entered personal data from attempts to intercept it by means of screenshots.

On-Screen Keyboard has the following features:

• You can click the On-Screen Keyboard buttons with the mouse.
• Unlike hardware keyboards, it is impossible to press several keys simultaneously on On-Screen Keyboard. This is why key combinations (such as ALT+F4) require that you click the first key (for example, ALT), then the second key (for example, F4), and then the first key again. The second click of the key acts in the same way as releasing the key on a hardware keyboard.
• The On-Screen Keyboard language can be switched by using the same shortcut that is specified by the operating system settings for the hardware keyboard. To do so, right-click the other key (for example, if the LEFT ALT+SHIFT shortcut is configured in the operating system settings for switching the keyboard language, left-click the LEFT ALT key and then right-click the SHIFT key).

The use of On-Screen Keyboard has the following limitations:

• On-Screen Keyboard prevents interception of personal data only when used with the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome browsers. When used with other browsers, On-Screen Keyboard does not protect entered personal data against interception.
• On-Screen Keyboard cannot protect your personal data if the website requiring the entry of such data is hacked, because in this case the information is obtained directly by the intruders from the website.
• On-Screen Keyboard does not prevent screenshots that are made by using the Print Screen key and other combinations of keys specified in the operating system settings.
• Kaspersky application does not provide protection against unauthorized screenshots in Microsoft Windows 8 and 8.1 (64-bit only) if the On-Screen Keyboard window is open but the Protected Browser process is not started.

How to open On-Screen Keyboard

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You can open On-Screen Keyboard in the following ways:

• From the toolbar of Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome
• By using the quick launch icon of On-Screen Keyboard in entry fields on websites

  You can configure the display of the quick launch icon in entry fields on websites.

  When On-Screen Keyboard is used, Kaspersky application disables the autofill option for entry fields on websites.

• By pressing a combination of keyboard keys

Starting On-Screen Keyboard from the browser toolbar

Starting On-Screen Keyboard by using the hardware keyboard

How to configure the display of the On-Screen Keyboard icon

To configure display of the quick launch icon of On-Screen Keyboard in entry fields on websites:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. Select the Privacy settings section.
4. In the Privacy settings window, click the Secure Data Input button.

   The window displays the settings for protecting data input.

5. In the On-Screen Keyboard block, select the Open On-Screen Keyboard by typing CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+P check box.
6. If you want the On-Screen Keyboard quick launch icon to be displayed in entry fields on all websites, select the Show quick launch icon in data entry fields check box.
7. If you want the On-Screen Keyboard quick launch icon to be displayed only when websites of specific categories are opened, select the check boxes for the categories of websites on which the On-Screen Keyboard quick launch icon should be displayed in entry fields.

   The On-Screen Keyboard quick launch icon is displayed when a website that belongs to any of the selected categories is accessed.

8. If you want to enable or disable display of the On-Screen Keyboard quick launch icon on a specific website:
   1. In the On-Screen Keyboard block, click the Manage exclusions link to open the Exclusions for On-Screen Keyboard window.
   2. In the lower part of the window, click the Add button.
   3. A window opens for adding an exclusion for On-Screen Keyboard.
   4. In the Web address mask field, enter the web address of a website.
   5. In the Scope section, specify where you want the On-Screen Keyboard quick launch icon to be displayed (or not to be displayed): on the specified page or on all pages of the website.
   6. In the On-Screen Keyboard icon section, specify whether or not you want the On-Screen Keyboard quick launch icon to be displayed.
   7. Click the OK button.

      The specified website appears in the list in the Exclusions for On-Screen Keyboard window.

When the specified website is accessed, the On-Screen Keyboard quick launch icon is displayed in the entry fields in accordance with the specified settings.

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About protection of data entered on the computer keyboard

Protection of data input on the computer keyboard allows avoiding interception of data that is entered on websites via the keyboard. To enable protection of data input on the keyboard, the Kaspersky Protection extension must be activated in the browser. You can configure protection of data input from the computer keyboard on various websites. After Secure Keyboard Input is configured, a pop-up message stating that Secure Keyboard Input is enabled will be displayed next to the field in which the cursor is set. By default, Secure Keyboard Input is enabled for all website categories except Internet communication.

Secure Data Input limitations

Secure Data Input in Kaspersky application has the following limitations:

• Secure Keyboard Input does not work in browsers running in the application Sandboxie.
• Secure Keyboard Input cannot protect your personal data if a website that requires entering such data has been hacked, because in this case information is obtained by intruders directly from the website. Secure Keyboard Input only works in the following browsers: Microsoft Edge based on Chromium, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Firefox ESR, and Google Chrome when the Kaspersky Protection extension is installed and enabled.
• Protection only works for pages that satisfy the following conditions:
  • The page is in a list of URL addresses or a category of pages that require Secure Keyboard Input.
  • The page is open in a Protected Browser.
  • The page is not on the URL exclusion list.
  • The page contains a field for entering a password; at the same time, the Password entry fields on all websites check box should be selected in the application settings.
  • To verify whether the check box is checked, go to the Privacy settings section → Secure Data Input → Secure Keyboard Input block.
• Protection only works for fields that satisfy the following conditions:
  • The input field is a single line, and it corresponds to the HTML <input> tag.
  • The input field is not hidden: The value of the type attribute is not equal to hidden, and in CSS styles the display field is not set to none.
  • Input fields are not fields of the submit, radio, check box, button, or image types.
  • The input field should not be read-only (readOnly).
  • The input field should be ready for input (get focus).
  • If the field has the maximum length (maxlength) attribute, the minimum number of characters that can be entered should be more than three.
• Protection does not work in the following cases:
  • Data is input using the IME technology.
  • The input field is not a password input field.

During the period after you install Kaspersky application but before you restart the computer for the first time, the application will not intercept the first character entered by the user (in any application).

If you have any difficulties, send a request with a detailed description of the problem to the Customer Service via My Kaspersky.

For instructions on working with My Kaspersky, see Help.

How to configure protection of data entered on the computer keyboard

To configure protection of data entered on the computer keyboard:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. Go to the Privacy settings section.
4. Click the Secure Data Input button.

   This opens the Secure Data Input settings window.

5. In the lower part of the window, in the Secure Keyboard Input section, select the Enable Secure Keyboard Input check box.
6. Select the check boxes for categories of websites on which you want to protect data that is entered via the keyboard.
7. If you want to enable or disable protection of data input from the keyboard on a specific website:
   1. Open the Exclusions for On-Screen Keyboard window by clicking the Manage exclusions link.
   2. In the window, click the Add button.
   3. A window opens for adding an exclusion to Secure Keyboard Input.
   4. In the window that opens, in the Web address mask field, enter a website address.
   5. Select one of the options for Secure Data Input on this website (Apply to the specified page or Apply to the entire website).
   6. Select the action to be performed by Secure Data Input on this website (Protect or Do not protect).
   7. Click the OK button.

The specified website appears in the list in the Exclusions for On-Screen Keyboard window. When this website is accessed, Secure Data Input will be active, functioning in accordance with the settings.

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Checking a website for safety

Kaspersky application allows checking the safety of a website before you click a link to open it. Websites are checked using URL Advisor.

The URL Advisor component checks links on a web page opened in Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox. Kaspersky application displays one of the following icons next to the checked link:

 – if the linked web page is safe according to Kaspersky;

 – if there is no information about the safety status of the linked web page;

– if according to Kaspersky, hackers can cause harm to your computer or your data by using the web page that the link leads to;

 – if according to Kaspersky, the web page that the link leads to can be infected or hacked;

 – if the linked web page is dangerous according to Kaspersky.

To view a pop-up window with more details on the link, move the mouse pointer to the corresponding icon.

By default, Kaspersky application checks links in search results only. You can enable URL checking on every website.

To configure URL checking on websites:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. Select the Security settings section.
4. Click the Safe Browsing button.

   This opens the Safe Browsing settings window.

5. By clicking the Advanced Settings link, open the advanced settings of Safe Browsing.
6. In the URL Advisor block, select the Check URLs check box.
7. If you want Kaspersky application to scan the content of all websites, select On all websites except those specified.
8. If necessary, specify web pages that you trust in the Exclusions window. Open this window by clicking the Manage exclusions link. Kaspersky application does not scan the content of specified web pages.
9. If you want Kaspersky application to check the content of specific web pages only:
   1. Select the On specified websites only option.
   2. Click the Configure checked websites link to open the Checked websites window.
   3. Click the Add button.
   4. Enter the address of the web page whose content you want to check.
   5. Select the checking status for the web page (if the status is Active, Kaspersky application checks web page content).
   6. Click the OK button.

      The specified web page appears in the list in the Checked websites window. Kaspersky application checks URLs on this web page.

10. To configure the advanced settings for URL checking, in the Advanced settings of Safe Browsing window, in the URL Advisor section, click the Configure URL Advisor link to open the Checked URLs window.
11. If you want Kaspersky application to notify you about the safety of links on all web pages, in the Checked URLs section, select All URLs.
12. If you want Kaspersky application to display information about whether a link belongs to a specific category of website content (for example, Profanity, obscenity):
    1. Select the Show information on the categories of website content check box.
    2. Select the check boxes next to categories of website content about which information should be displayed in comments.

Kaspersky application checks links on the specified web pages and displays information about categories of the links in accordance with the selected settings.

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How to change encrypted connections settings

Encrypted connections are established over the SSL and TLS protocols. By default, Kaspersky application scans such connections upon request from protection components, such as Mail Anti-Virus, Safe Money, URL Advisor, Private Browsing, Safe Browsing, and Anti-Banner.

To change encrypted connections settings:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. Go to the Security settings section.
4. In the Advanced settings block, click the Network settings button.
5. In the Network settings window, go to the Encrypted connections scan section.
6. Select an action to perform when connecting to websites over an encrypted connection:
   • Do not scan encrypted connections. Kaspersky application does not scan encrypted connections.
   • Scan encrypted connections upon request from protection components. Kaspersky application only scans encrypted connections upon request from URL Advisor. This action is selected by default.
   • Always scan encrypted connections. Kaspersky application always scans encrypted connections.

   Clicking the Show certificates link opens a window with a list of trusted certificates that are used by popular websites. Certificates are added to this list if you click Add to trusted certificates and continue in a Kaspersky warning when visiting a website. After you add a certificate to the list, the website is considered trusted. You can add or remove certificates in the Trusted root certificates window using the Add and Delete buttons.

   If you have multiple user accounts on your computer, and one of the users accepts the new certificate, this certificate is also added to the trusted certificate list for all other users.

7. Select an action to perform if there are errors when scanning encrypted connections:
   • Ignore. If this action is selected, Kaspersky application terminates the connection with the website on which the scan error occurred.
   • Ask. If there is an error when scanning encrypted connection with a website, Kaspersky application shows a notification where you can select an action:
     • Ignore. Kaspersky application terminates the connection with the website on which the scan error occurred.
     • Allow and add domain to exclusions. Kaspersky application adds the website address to the list of trusted addresses. Kaspersky application does not scan encrypted connections on websites from the list of trusted addresses. You can view such websites by clicking the Configure trusted addresses link.

     This option is selected by default.

   • Allow and add domain to exclusions. Kaspersky application adds the website to the list of trusted addresses. Kaspersky application does not scan encrypted connections on websites from the list of trusted addresses. These websites are displayed in the Trusted addresses window, which can be opened by clicking the Configure trusted addresses link.
8. Click the Configure trusted addresses link to open the Trusted addresses window and perform the following actions:
   1. Click the Add button to add the website to the list of exclusions for encrypted connections scan.
   2. Enter the domain name of the website in the Domain name field.
   3. Click the Add button.

      Kaspersky application will not scan encrypted connections with this website. Please note that adding a website to the list of trusted addresses may limit the functionality of scanning the website by protection components, such as Safe Money, URL Advisor, Private Browsing, Safe Browsing, and Anti-Banner.

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About secure connection to Wi-Fi networks

Kaspersky VPN functionality is not available in some regions.

Available only in Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium.

Public Wi-Fi networks may be under-protected, for example, if a Wi-Fi network uses a vulnerable encryption protocol or a weak password. When you make Internet purchases over insecure Wi-Fi networks, your passwords and other confidential data are transmitted in non-encrypted text. Hackers can intercept your confidential data such as your bank card number and obtain access to your money.

To ensure your security when using insecure Wi-Fi networks, you can enable VPN via a specially allocated server located in the region you specify. Traffic from the website first goes to the allocated server and only then is sent to your device over an encrypted secure connection.

To use the Kaspersky VPN component, you need to run Kaspersky VPN. Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection is installed together with Kaspersky application on Kaspersky Plus plan.

The Kaspersky VPN component provides the following advantages:

• Safe use of payment systems and booking sites. Intruders will not be able to intercept the number of your bank card when you make online payments, book hotel rooms, or rent cars.
• Protection of your secret information. No one will be able to determine the IP address of your computer or your location.
• Protection of your privacy. No one will be able to intercept and read your private correspondence on social networks.

VPN connection can also be used for other types of network connections such as a local Internet connection or USB modem connection.

By default, Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection does not prompt you to enable VPN if the HTTPS protocol is used to connect to a website.

Changing your location when visiting websites of banks, payment systems, booking websites, social networks, chats, and email websites could result in the triggering of anti-fraud systems (systems intended for analyzing online financial transactions for signs of fraudulent operations).

The usage of VPN connection may be regulated by local legislation. You may use VPN connection only in accordance with its purpose and without violating local legislation.

Configuring notifications of vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi networks

If Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection is not installed on your computer, Kaspersky application displays a notification about connecting to Wi-Fi networks and insecure transmission of your password over the Internet. You can allow or block connection and password transmission in the notification window.

After you have installed Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection, the settings for the display of notifications when connecting to Wi-Fi networks and transmitting an unencrypted password become inactive. You can configure the notification settings for Wi-Fi network connections in Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection.

Kaspersky VPN functionality is not available in some regions.

To configure notifications of vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi networks:

1. Open the main application window.
2. Click in the lower part of the main window.

   This opens the Settings window.

3. Select the Security settings section.
4. Select the Firewall component.

   The window displays the settings of the Firewall component.

5. Select the Notify of vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi networks if you want to receive notifications when you are connecting to vulnerable Wi-Fi networks. If you do not want to receive notifications, clear the check box. This check box can be accessed if Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection is not installed on the computer.
6. Click the Select categories link and select Wi-Fi network vulnerability categories. When you attempt to connect to a Wi-Fi network with the relevant vulnerability, Kaspersky application notifies you about it.
7. If the Notify of vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi networks check box is selected, you can edit the advanced settings for display of notifications:
   • Select the Block and warn about insecure transmission of passwords over the Internet check box to block all transmission of passwords in non-encrypted text format when you fill in the Password fields on the Internet.
   • By clicking the link Enable, restore the default values of settings for display of notifications about transfers of passwords in non-encrypted form. If you have previously blocked display of notifications about password transfer in non-encrypted form, display of these notifications will resume.

When connecting to protected Wi-Fi networks, the application displays a notification, which asks you if you trust the new network. You can choose one of the following options:

• No, block external access to computer. All external connections of this network are blocked except connections initiated from your device. You can use the Internet and visit all websites. Other users on this network will not be able to connect to resources of your computer (for example, they will not gain access to the contents of your disks, including shared folders).
• Restrict, but allow shared access. You can use the Internet and visit all websites. Other users on this network will not be granted access to resources of your computer, but they will have access to resources designated as shared (for example, shared folders).
• Yes, allow all network activity. All connections on this network will be allowed. You can use the Internet and visit all websites. Other users on this network will be able to connect to your computer without limitations (for example, they will be able to gain access to the contents of your disks).

If the Smart Home Monitor functionality is turned off, notifications about previously detected vulnerabilities of the Wi-Fi network remain in the user interface of the product. You can hide these notifications. To delete the notifications, you must disconnect from the current Wi-Fi network or do the following:

1. Resolve previously detected vulnerabilities.
2. Turn on the Smart Home Monitor functionality.
3. Scan the Wi-Fi network for vulnerabilities.

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