Fake Website Shield - FAQs

What is Fake Website Shield?

Fake Website Shield is available in the latest version of AVG Internet Security and protects you against DNS (Domain Name System) hijacking to ensure you get to the actual website you want to visit. This feature is designed to require minimal input from you. To ensure you are protected, all you need to do is keep Fake Website Shield enabled.

How does Fake Website Shield work?

Every time you enter the URL (web address) of a website, such as www.example.com, into the address bar of your browser, the URL is translated to the IP address (Internet Protocol address) of the web server where the web page that you want to access is stored. Fake Website Shield provides an encrypted connection between your web browser and AVG's own DNS server to prevent hijacking and ensure that the displayed website is the authentic one.

How do I get Fake Website Shield?

Fake Website Shield is enabled by default in the latest version of AVG Internet Security. To access Fake Website Shield, click the Personal Data tile on the main AVG Internet Security screen.

Fake Website Shield is enabled by default in the latest version of AVG Internet Security. To access Fake Website Shield, click the Payments tile on the main AVG Internet Security screen.

To install and activate the latest version of AVG Internet Security, refer to the following articles:

• Installing AVG Internet Security
• Activating an AVG Internet Security subscription
• Installing AVG Internet Security
• Activating an AVG Internet Security subscription

What is DNS hijacking?

DNS hijacking (or DNS redirection) is a type of malicious attack that redirects you from the site you want to visit to a fake one that may look just like it. The most common method of DNS hijacking is to install malware that redirects you from an authentic website URL (web address) to a fake website that can steal information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details.

This type of attack is especially dangerous when used with banking and shopping websites. In some cases, DNS hijacking may be recognized only after your sensitive data has been compromised.

How can I disable Fake Website Shield?

To ensure your full security, Fake Website Shield is enabled by default. We recommended you keep Fake Website Shield enabled at all times, unless you need to temporarily disable it for troubleshooting purposes.

To disable Fake Website Shield:

1. Click the Personal Data tile on the main AVG Internet Security screen.
2. Click the Payments tile on the main AVG Internet Security screen.
3. Click the green (ON) slider above Fake Website Shield.
4. Select for how long the feature will remain disabled, then click OK, stop to confirm the action.
5. Enter the password that you use to start your Mac, then click OK.

The slider changes to red (OFF) and Fake Website Shield is disabled.

Does Fake Website Shield affect the speed of my web browsing?

Fake Website Shield routes your connection using an IP address that is known and secure, even if the route may be slightly slower. This slight decrease in speed can be caused by the following factors:

• There are some countries where AVG does not have a DNS server and accessing servers from an external country can be noticeably slower compared to using the default DNS.
• The AVG IP may have a longer route to the same server than the default DNS IP address.
• Some providers, including corporate networks, have their own DNS servers that sort and handle DNS requests. These servers may have different, locally based IP addresses that differ from the global IP address and may load web sites faster.
• Some providers, including corporate networks, block or filter encrypted DNS requests, which may slow down or stop connections to AVG Fake Website Shield if the request waits for a timeout.

Why does Fake Website Shield show the status 'Not available'?

Certain network configurations or policies may not allow you to control DNS settings and use Fake Website Shield. If Fake Website Shield displays the status Not available, we recommend the following:

• Ensure that UDP port 443 and UDP port 53 in your network firewall allow DNS with encryption. If your firewall blocks these ports, Fake Website Shield tries to connect to them by TCP protocol.
• Consult your network administrator or internet service provider (ISP) to ensure your DNS settings are protected.

How do I set an exception for Fake Website Shield?

To exclude a website URL from Fake Website Shield, you need to set an exception in all AVG scans and shields:

1. Open AVG Internet Security and go to ☰ Menu ▸ Settings.
2. Select General ▸ Exceptions.
3. Click Add exception.
4. Type the website url into the text box using the example below as a reference:
   • dns://*.example.net*
5. Click Add exception again to confirm.