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How can I cripple Web Threat Shield?


Userlevel 3
Here is the issue. I do not need the Web Threat Shield but I also do not want to disable it becuase that means I continuesly receive a message that I do not have full protection.
 
If I were to leave Web Threat Shield toggle active but untick it's 4 functions, would that basically be the same as disabling it fully? If not, can you please tell me which parts of Web Threat Shield are active even after disabling it's 4 features in the change settings. Thank you 🙂
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Best answer by JimM 23 April 2012, 16:59

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11 replies

Userlevel 7
Hello GarlicWebroot,
 
Welcome to the Webroot Community!
 
First, a brief description of the Web Threat Shield from the help file:
"The Web Threat shield protects your system as you surf the Internet. If it detects a website that may be a threat, it opens an alert that allows you to decide whether you want to block the site or continue despite the warning. When you use a search engine, this shield analyzes all the links on the search results page and then displays an image next to each link that signifies whether it's a trusted site (green checkmark) or a potential risk (red 😵."
 
In short, that means it blocks bad stuff from malicious websites.  You really do need it.  I wouldn't advise turning it off.  You can however configure the settings for it however you like without disabling the main part of it.
 
That takes me to your first question, and the answer to that one is no.  If you uncheck all of the options for that shield, the main bit of it that blocks the malicious content is still active.  That's why you don't get the warning saying it's off.
 
The answer to your other question is a bit more dependant on which version of the software you're running.  Since you posted this question in the Antivirus forum, we'll assume you're not running Essentials or Complete.  In your case, there shouldn't be any other interaction with other shields in the background since you don't have an Identity Shield.  However, if you were running Essentials or Complete there is some interaction between the two shields in those versions.  Basically the Identity Shield looks at data from the Web Threat shield to get an indication of what site you're at so it can tell when to apply certain levels of protection to whatever site that may be.
 
I'd be curious to know how you arrived at the conclusion you don't need the Web Threat Shield.  Are you having trouble with it?  If so, we would be happy to help.  Please let us know.
Userlevel 3
Thank you very much for the excellent post, it really explained a lot.
 
 
My situation is this, I don't really do much risky surfing on the web so I figured all the web shield could do is slightly slow down my page loads since technically it has to if it's going to scan anything. Am i wrong? Is the scan so quick I would not notice anyway?
 
That is the only reason I felt I did not need it.
 
p.s. I am using Webroot Essentials now but at the time of this threads posting I was using only the Antivirus. I am now using all features and looking to see if my browsing is delayed at all.
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
 
My situation is this, I don't really do much risky surfing on the web so I figured all the web shield could do is slightly slow down my page loads since technically it has to if it's going to scan anything. Am i wrong? Is the scan so quick I would not notice anyway?
Hello garlicwebroot, Welcome to the Webroot Community Forum. :D
 
Now-a-days any web surfing is risky. I'm running WSA Essentials and MBAM Pro real time and I haven't seen any slow downs on my page loads on one of my computers. I have a 10 year old computer Win XP / IE-8 running WSA Essentials and it's the fastest I've seen it run in a long time. 😃
Userlevel 7
Badge +56
@ wrote:
Thank you very much for the excellent post, it really explained a lot.
 
 
My situation is this, I don't really do much risky surfing on the web so I figured all the web shield could do is slightly slow down my page loads since technically it has to if it's going to scan anything. Am i wrong? Is the scan so quick I would not notice anyway?
 
That is the only reason I felt I did not need it.
 
p.s. I am using Webroot Essentials now but at the time of this threads posting I was using only the Antivirus. I am now using all features and looking to see if my browsing is delayed at all.
And how are your results? Do you find the browser opens slower? I have not even during the Beta cycle! :D
 
TH
Userlevel 3
seems the same :)

the only thing i did disable is the link scanner. It doesn't seem to work with www.duckduckgo.com. i don't use google, where it did work. I disabled it though but left the other detectors active
Userlevel 7
Badge +56
@ wrote:
seems the same :)

the only thing i did disable is the link scanner. It doesn't seem to work with www.duckduckgo.com. i don't use google, where it did work. I disabled it though but left the other detectors active
So far it works with Google,Yahoo and Bing search in IE and Firefox 11! Also if you want SSL https://encrypted.google.com/  if I missed any the webroot staff will suppy more!
 
HTH,
 
TH
Userlevel 3
add www.duckduckgo.com

it's a great search engine
Userlevel 7
Badge +56
@ wrote:
add www.duckduckgo.com

it's a great search engine
I use it also! You can add to the list of added features request! http://community.webroot.com/t5/forums/postpage/board-id/Ideas
 
TH
Userlevel 7
There are so many search engines out there that we can't possibly cover them all with annotations, but the main function of the Web Threat shield is to block malicious web resources when they are trying to load.   Even if the search engine has no green check mark from us in it, a click on a bad link will result in a block of the site in question.  Otherwise, the Web Threat Shield should not impact browsing at all, so please let us know if it does.
 
So there's really no reason to turn it off, except maybe annotations in cases where you have other programs providing annotations.  Any reason that crops up is usually considered a bug that we want to fix.
Userlevel 2
I know this is an old topic, but I'm new to WSA AV and have been educating myself on this forum, and I just wanted to say that the answers on this thread, and every other thread for that matter, is just awesome. Best cumstomer service that I have seen.
Userlevel 7
Hello DBone, Thanks for the compliment about the forum and Welcome to Webroot's Community Forum. 😃

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