What is Password Protection?

Password Protection is a privacy tool that informs you if your passwords have been leaked online in a data breach and secures the passwords you store in your web browser(s). If left unprotected, Passwords stored in web browsers are vulnerable to malware and theft by unwanted applications.

The exact functionality of Password Protection varies according to your version of Avast One:

• The free version (Avast One Essential): You can run a one-time breach check for your email address, which tells you if any online accounts that use your email address have already been involved in a data breach. However, Password Protection does not continue to monitor for new data breaches. For this reason, we recommend running regular manual checks.
• The paid version: You can add up to 5 monitored email addresses. Password Protection informs you about previous data breaches involving your monitored email addresses, and additionally continues to monitor in real-time for new data breaches. You are alerted immediately if any of your online accounts are breached. The Browser protection feature is also available to prevent unauthorized third parties from accessing the passwords stored in your web browsers.

How do I check for a data breach?

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Password Protection.
2. Click Open Password Protection, then select the Compromised passwords tab.
3. Enter an email used to sign in to online accounts, then click Check data breaches.
4. If you have the paid version of Avast One, optionally click Monitor for new breaches to continuously secure your email account.

For more information about how to use Password Protection, refer to the following article:

• Password Protection - Getting Started

Does Password Protection notify me if my passwords are compromised?

If you have the paid version of Avast One, you can set Password Protection to continuously monitor for data breaches that contain your email address. When a data breach occurs, Password Protection alerts you and prompts you to resecure your accounts.

If you have the free version of Avast One (Avast Essential), Password Protection does not monitor for data breaches. Therefore, we recommend running regular manual checks.

How do I set up breach monitoring?

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Password Protection.
2. Click Open Password Protection, then select the Breach monitoring tab.
3. Click + Add an email.
4. Enter an email used to sign in to online accounts, then click Monitor for data breaches.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm via your email inbox that the email address is really yours, then return to Avast One and click Email is verified ▸ Done.

Which browsers are compatible with Password Protection?

Avast Password Protection supports the following browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Avast Secure Browser

To enable browser protection in the paid version of Avast One:

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Password Protection.
2. Click Open Password Protection, then select the Browser protection tab.
3. Tick the box next to Protect browser passwords.

Passwords stored in any of the supported browsers are now protected from theft by malware or unauthorized applications.

How do I adjust Password Protection behavior?

To adjust how Password Protection handles applications that attempt to access your browser passwords:

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Password Protection.
2. Click Open Password Protection, then select the Browser protection tab.
3. In the box labeled If a new app tries to access my browser passwords, click the down arrow, then select an action:
   • Automatically block access: Applications are automatically blocked without any notification. Blocked applications are added to the list of blocked apps.
   • Ask me to allow or block the first time (selected by default): You are asked to grant permission when an application tries to access your passwords.

You can change the status of blocked and allowed apps under App permissions.

How do I manage blocked and allowed applications?

When you allow or deny an application access to passwords, the application status is automatically added to the App permissions list. You can change your preferences at any time by following the steps below:

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Password Protection.
2. Click Open Password Protection, then select the Browser protection tab.
3. In the App permissions section, click the slider next to the relevant application to change the status to Blocked or Allowed.
4. Click + Add application to add an application to the list. Newly added applications are automatically set to Blocked. To change the status, follow step 3 above.
5. To remove an application from the App permissions list, tick the box next to the relevant application, then click Remove app.

For detailed instructions, refer to the following article:

• Password Protection - Getting Started

How can I protect my passwords from theft?

To prevent compromised passwords:

• Use strong passwords, including capital letters, numbers, special characters, and phrases.
• Use a different password for every account. Email passwords are the most vulnerable to theft, so these should always be unique.
• Enable two-factor authentication where possible.
• Always keep Password Protection enabled and set up Breach monitoring.