File scanning
Keeps your device safe from viruses in downloaded files
The threat
Files that you download from the internet can contain malicious programs — viruses, trojans, keyloggers, etc. Opening them is dangerous — hackers can use these programs to steal, change, and delete your information, slow down your computer, or simply lock you out of your system.
Malicious programs are also often used to steal passwords, send spam, and infect other devices in your network.
How it works
Protect begins scanning while a file is still being downloaded. It sends any information that might indicate a threat to Yandex’s anti-malware cloud servers. There is no need to send the whole file, so the scan happens very quickly. This is usually enough to determine whether a file presents a danger.
In uncertain cases, the anti-malware server requests additional data or file fragments in order to conduct a more thorough analysis.
If a file turns out to be dangerous, Protect temporarily blocks it. No applications will be able to open the file until you decide whether to delete it or unblock it. Of course, it’s best to do the former.
How to turn it off
Scanning takes place automatically when you start downloading a file. If you do not want Protect to perform file scans, go to your browser Settings, scroll down to the Privacy block, uncheck “Enable protection from malicious websites and programs,” and restart the browser. Please note that Protect will stop scanning websites as well as files.
