Web Shield provider protects your computer from viruses that may infect your computer when browsing the Internet - especially when downloading files from web pages.

If you - possibly by mistake - download an infected file and try to start it, avast! will prevent the infection thanks to its Standard Shield provider (which scans all files that you start of open). With Web Shield, however, the virus will be detected even sooner - during the download of the file. So, Web Shield makes your computer even safer than before.

This provider also makes it possible to block specific URL addresses.

The provider works as a local proxy server. On NT-based operating systems (Windows NT/2000/XP/20003) the protection is completely transparent and it is usually not necessary to configure anything special. To enable the Web Shield on Windows 9x/ME operating systems, it is necessary to modify one setting in the Internet Options - in particular, the address and port of local proxy.

–lee