Scam Guardian is a feature of Avast One Antivirus that provides users with the following tools to recognize and avoid online threats, improving digital security:

1. Avast One Assistant is an AI-powered cybersecurity assistant that analyzes texts, emails, and links for potential scams and cybersecurity concerns. It can also be used for any online safety related questions.
2. Web Guard, formerly known as Web Shield, scans internet activity in real time to prevent malware from downloading onto devices and help you avoid suspicious websites.
3. Email Guard, formerly known as Email Guardian, is a premium feature that scans incoming emails in your online email accounts, labeling received emails to indicate potential scam and phishing risks.

Refer to the sections below to learn how to use these features.

Use Avast One Assistant

Avast One Assistant is an AI-powered virtual support tool that helps users stay safe online. It analyzes text messages, emails, links, and images to detect potential scams, phishing attempts, and other cybersecurity threats. Aside from identifying suspicious content, the assistant provides practical guidance to help users understand and appropriately respond to safety concerns.

To use Avast One Assistant, follow the steps below:

1. Open Avast One and go to Scam Guardian.
2. Ensure that Avast One Assistant is selected.
3. In the Avast One Assistant panel, you can:
   • Upload an image showing suspicious text, email, or webpage for analysis by Avast One Assistant.
   • Enter text from a suspicious email or message, or a suspect URL for analysis by Avast One Assistant.
   • Ask a question about any cybersecurity topic.

For more information about these options, refer to the sections below.

Upload an image to Avast One Assistant

1. Click Upload (the + icon). Locate the file on your device, then click Open.
2. Once the image has been uploaded, type your question into the field and click Submit (the arrow icon).
3. Avast One Assistant analyzes the submitted information. If a scam is detected, an explanation is provided along with advice on the next steps to take. You can continue asking further questions or uploading additional images in the same conversation.

Paste text or ask a question

1. Write your question or paste a suspicious message or a link in the Avast One Assistant field, then click Submit (the arrow icon).
2. Avast One Assistant will provide an answer to your question or an analysis of the submitted text or link. You can continue asking further questions in the same conversation.

Use Web Guard

Web Guard is a core protection feature in Avast Antivirus that scans internet activity in real-time to block malware like malicious scripts and help you avoid suspicious websites. It is enabled by default to help ensure robust security. However, users can adjust settings for detection sensitivity and malware handling.

To access Web Guard, follow the steps below:

1. Open Avast One and go to Scam Guardian.
2. Select Web Guard.
3. By default, Web Guard is on. If needed, click the slider to turn it off.
   To help ensure your security, we recommend keeping Web Guard enabled and only disabling it for temporary troubleshooting purposes.

To manage Web Guard settings:

1. Click Settings (the gear icon) on the Web Guard screen.
2. Select the Web Guard tab, then optionally tick (enable) or untick (disable) the following settings:
   1. Enable Web Guard: Blocks web attacks & unsafe downloads. To temporarily disable Web Guard, untick the box, then select a time duration, and click OK, Stop. Web Guard automatically enables again when the specified time duration elapses.
   2. Enable HTTPS scanning: Includes scanning of encrypted websites. HTTPS scanning protects your PC against malware delivered by TLS and SSL encrypted HTTPS traffic when you browse the internet. This feature is enabled by default to ensure your full security. If you disable HTTPS scanning, any malware delivered by HTTPS traffic is hidden by TLS/SSL encryption and your computer is more vulnerable to threats.
   3. Scan web traffic of uncommon applications: Automatically scan HTTPS traffic of potentially suspicious applications.
   4. Enable QUIC/HTTP3 scanning: Scans communications sent and received via Google's QUIC protocol.
   5. Enable WebSocket protocol scanning: Scan the network traffic commonly used by web applications.
   6. Enable DNS/DoH scanning: Scan the network traffic for malicious domain resolutions.
   7. Protect against botnets: Prevents botnets from using your computer to attack other computers.
   8. Enable Script scanning: Prevents browsers and other applications from running potentially malicious scripts. This includes remote threats from the web and outside sources.
   9. Enable automatic changing of online fingerprint: Prevents websites from tracking your activity by scrambling your online fingerprint each time you visit a web page.
   10. Enable site blocking: Allows you to block access to specific websites. To block access to a website from your PC, click Show blocked websites ▸ Add website, then enter the website address. Click Close to confirm the addition and return to Web Guard settings.
   11. Generate report file: Automatically generates reports of scan results.
   
3. Ensure that the Settings tab is selected, then optionally use the sliders to enable or disable the following settings:
   1. Notify me about potentially unwanted programs: When potentially unwanted programs (PUP) are detected, you are notified with an alert message.
   2. Scan for Tools: Tools are apps that can be used for accessing, controlling, or potentially harming computers.
   3. Verify suspicious URLs: Suspicious URLs are checked against Avast's list of reputable websites.
   4. Scan secure connections: HTTPS (secured) sites are scanned for malware as well as HTTP sites.
   5. Force downgrade HTTP3 (Recommended): Automatically downgrades all web traffic to HTTP2 or HTTP to scan for malicious code.

To exclude websites or domains from being scanned by Web Guard:

1. Click Settings (the gear icon) on the Web Guard screen.
2. Select the Exceptions tab, then click Add exceptions.
3. Enter the URL of the website you want to exclude from being scanned and select the Web server services type, then click Add.
4. If prompted, enter the password that you use when you start your Mac, then click OK to authorize the change.

The website is added to the exceptions list.

To remove an excluded item, hover your cursor over the server panel in the exceptions list, then click the X icon.

Use Email Guard

Email Guard scans incoming emails and labels them as safe or unsafe to highlight potential scam and phishing threats. These labels are added directly in your online email account, enhancing your safety when checking emails on any device or browser. Refer to the following support articles for more information:

• New Avast One Email Guard - Getting Started

Further recommendations

For more information about Avast One, refer to the following article:

• New Avast One - FAQs