What is Sensitive Data Shield?

Sensitive Data Shield provides an extra layer of protection for your sensitive documents against malware and unauthorized access. Sensitive files contain your personal information that, if revealed, can compromise your privacy and identity. Sensitive Data Shield secures your private data by controlling which applications and users have access to your files.

How do I get Sensitive Data Shield?

Sensitive Data Shield is included in the paid version of Avast One. To access the feature, open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Sensitive Data Shield ▸ Open Sensitive Data Shield.

Which files does Sensitive Data Shield protect?

Sensitive Data Shield scans for and protects documents that may contain your personal data such as banking details, passwords, IDs, payslips, and other sensitive information. If malware or hackers attack your PC and gain access to these unprotected documents, your identity can be stolen and misused.

After scanning, Sensitive Data Shield displays a list of any unsecured .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, and .xlsx documents found on your PC that contain sensitive data. You can choose if you want Sensitive Data Shield to protect all or some of these files.

How can I use Sensitive Data Shield?

You can scan your PC for unsecured sensitive documents, or manually protect documents by adding them on the Sensitive Data Shield screen. During a scan, Sensitive Data Shield checks your entire hard drive, including each page of every document, and looks for files that contain sensitive data. The duration of the scan depends on the number of files stored on your PC.

To scan for sensitive documents on your PC:

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Sensitive Data Shield.
2. Click Open Sensitive Data Shield.
3. Click Scan for sensitive documents to start scanning your PC for sensitive data.
4. When the scan completes, review the results. All found documents are selected by default. Optionally, untick the box next to a file to deselect it. When you are satisfied with the selected documents, click Protect all documents or Protect selected.

Your sensitive documents are now protected and cannot be opened by unknown, untrusted, or blocked applications.

To manually secure your files:

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Sensitive Data Shield.
2. Click Open Sensitive Data Shield.
3. Click + Protect a new document, then navigate to the file location, and click Open.

Your sensitive document is now protected and cannot be opened by unknown, untrusted, or blocked applications.

Can I protect my files from other people who use my PC?

When you retain the default settings and protect files using Sensitive Data Shield, your protected files become inaccessible to other user accounts on your PC. This is useful if you have sensitive documents stored on a shared PC.

To check this setting, go to Explore ▸ Sensitive Data Shield ▸ Open Sensitive Data Shield and select the User permissions tab. Ensure that the box is ticked next to Block other users on this PC from accessing protected documents.

Can I block a particular application from opening my sensitive files?

Yes. You can specify applications that are always blocked or allowed access to your protected files. To manage Sensitive Data Shield application permissions:

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Sensitive Data Shield.
2. Click Open Sensitive Data Shield, then select the App permissions tab.
3. Click + Add application, then select an application using either method below:
   • Select from list: Click Add next to the application you want to block or allow.
   • Select by location: Click Select app location, then locate the application on your PC and click Open.

The application is added to the app permissions list and the status is set to Blocked. To change the status to Allowed, click the red (Blocked) slider next to an application in the list so that it changes to green (Allowed).

To remove an application from the list, tick the box next to the relevant app, then click Remove app.

Where can I find out more about Sensitive Data Shield?

To learn more about how to use Sensitive Data Shield, refer to the following article:

• Sensitive Data Shield - Getting Started