![avast online security extension firefox avast online security extension firefox](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1745010/Avast_Anti_Phishing_Graphic.jpg)
In fact, McAfee WebAdvisor "blocks" malicious websites after they've started loading, which is not optimal, but more typical of this type of extension. They need to be better than the malware and phishing protection built into the browser, not an easy task. They have some pretty big challenges to overcome. Vendors of browser extension claim that they protect against online threats. There will be more interesting findings to publish later.
![avast online security extension firefox avast online security extension firefox](https://certstation.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/avast.jpg)
My first article on #McAfee antivirus, detailing a bunch of issues rendering its web protection component ineffective. Since it's convenient, I had another tab open with the following tweet by Wladimir Palant:
![avast online security extension firefox avast online security extension firefox](https://helpdeskgeek.com/wp-content/pictures/2020/07/avast-security-extension-privacy-and-tracking-options.png)
It's usually snake oil, which doesn't really help and may harm (as shown above). Some people rely on Kaspersky, AVAST, McAfee, and use their browser add-ons to have better protection. Palant: McAfee Web Protection ineffective They claim, that the addons are back soon. I simply put here in the original version for informational purposes. These will be available as usual in the Mozilla store in the near future." We have already implemented some of Mozilla's new requirements and will release further updated versions that are fully compliant and transparent per the new requirements. Avast does this without collecting or storing a user's identification. It is necessary for this service to collect the URL history to deliver its expected functionality. The Avast Online Security extension is a security tool that protects users online, including from infected websites and phishing attacks. Mozilla has recently updated its store policy and we are liaising with them in order to make the necessary adjustments to our extensions to align with new requirements. "We have offered our Avast Online Security and SafePrice browser extensions for many years through the Mozilla store. In the meantime, AVAST has issued a statement below, which reveals the reasons why the addons are gone. Maybe there were several reasons to take the extensions out of the store. But the following links show that AVAST caused some additional trouble with Firefox. It's still all speculation, because there's no official statement. This data would then be used for "cross-product direct marketing". German site points out here that AVAST's privacy declaration confirms that the "clickstream data" collected would be pseudonymised and anonymised. This means that AVAST was informed about the surfing behaviour of millions of users. The information provided included the URL of the page visited, the page title and the referrer. According to Palant, the data transmitted by the browser extension exceeded the required level for the feature. The same is true for AVG (which is part of AVAST). Palant discovered that the Avast extension sent data to the manufacturer's server, which provided Avast with browser history information. Responsible for that is the Avast Online Security Extension, which recommends AVAST and AVG products to users for installation in the browser to ensure maximum protection. He had documented in October 2018 that AVAST antivirus products were spying on users. Brinkmann and heise suspect that it might have to do with an article by Wladimir Palant.
![avast online security extension firefox avast online security extension firefox](https://www.safetydetective.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Avast-Scan-in-progress-1.jpg)
Since the extensions did not end up on a black list through Mozilla, the question arises as to the background. Mozilla has removed these extensions from its store. Whoever knows the direct links of the addons and calls them will get an error message "Oops! We can't find this page". Neither Avast Online Security nor SafePrice nor AVG Online Security or SafePrice are currently offered as extensions in the shop. Martin Brinkmann reported that when searching the official Mozilla Add-ons website for Avast or AVG, no results were found. Mozilla removes all Avast Firefox extensions #mozilla #firefox #avast /pUoG84bkof I have already been informed about the topic by Ralf within this German comment (thanks for that) – but had already read it in the following tweet by Martin Brinkmann (ghacks).