In the field of Internet security, "sandboxing" refers to a special mechanism used to securely execute guest programs. Most often, they are used for proactive protection when running unverified code that may turn out to be malicious. Many antivirus software manufacturers use this technology to create their products. Avast! - not an exception.
What is a "sandbox" and why is it needed
The so-called sandbox is a relatively new feature in the shareware packages of Avast! Pro and Avast! Internet Security. It is a special security model that allows a user to visit websites and run a variety of applications while in a secure environment. This feature helps to avoid viruses when accidentally navigating to potentially dangerous sites. When it gets to a malicious resource, the browser will be automatically sandboxed, and therefore infection of the computer will be prevented.
Free versions of Avast! There is no sandbox.
You can also launch the new function yourself when you enable third-party programs that seem suspicious or unreliable to you. Just run the program in the sandbox and you will find out if it is really dangerous, or if your fears are unfounded. When checking the program, your system will be protected by Avast. The "sandbox" is often used when checking software downloaded from the Internet.
How to use the sandbox
In order to launch a questionable application or access the Internet through the "sandbox", click on the request "start a virtualized process". After that, go to the program you need on your computer. The browser or application will launch in a new special window, framed by a red frame, indicating that the program has been successfully launched from the sandbox.
In the "advanced settings" tab, you can assign applications that do not need to be virtualized, as well as those that should always be launched from the sandbox.
A characteristic feature of the "sandbox" is the ability to be embedded in the context menu. To enable this option, in the "Parameters" window, check the box next to the "embed in the context menu launched by the right mouse click" column. The option can be made available for all users as well as for users with administrator rights. With its help, you can run any application in the "sandbox" by just right-clicking on the shortcut and selecting the "run with virtualization" command.
Please note that if you right-click on an application placed in the sandbox, in the context menu that opens, you can select the command to run once outside the sandbox or remove the application from it.
