Browsing Protection by WithSecure privacy policy

September 2022

In brief

Browsing Protection by WithSecure is an extension for protecting encrypted browsing with security products by WithSecure.

Security products by WithSecure require this browser extension to be able to protect your web browsing, online banking and shopping, and to show you security information while you are browsing the internet.

To summarize Browsing Protection by WithSecure and privacy:
<ul>
<li>we collect anonymous security data to protect you and your device;</li>
<li>the focus of data collection is not on you, but on your device and our service.</li>
</ul>

In full

Terminology

<ul>
<li>Browsing Protection by WithSecure is the Firefox browser extension to which this privacy policy applies.</li>
<li>WithSecure security product refers to any security product provided by WithSecure Corporation that works together with the Browsing Protection by WithSecure extension. Such products may bear a brand name other than "WithSecure", in which case they can be recognized by the "by WithSecure" logo.</li>
<li>WithSecure Security Cloud is a cloud-based system for cyber threat analysis that is operated by WithSecure. With Security Cloud, WithSecure can maintain an up-to-date overview of the global threat landscape and protect our customers against new threats the moment those threats are first found.</li>
</ul>

Data collected by Browsing Protection by WithSecure

We check the URLs (web page addresses) of the web pages that you open, the URLs referred to from the web pages that you open, and keep track of the browser tabs that you open and close. This information is passed on to the WithSecure security product that you have installed on your computer. The security product sends queries about the URLs to WithSecure Security Cloud to obtain security ratings for the URLs; based on the obtained security ratings, Browsing Protection by WithSecure then blocks access to web pages that are rated as harmful, suspicious, illegal, or (if the security product is so configured) unsuitable for children. Tracking of opened and closed browser tabs is restricted to your computer for the purpose of keeping track of your secured banking sessions; we do not forward information about your browser's tabs to WithSecure Security Cloud.

If the installed security product is so configured, Browsing Protection by WithSecure modifies internet search queries (for example, using Google or Bing) to force the searches to be run in "Safe Search" mode, blocking sexually explicit content like pornography, violence, and gore from the search results.

When you search the internet using Google, Bing, and other search engines, we check the URLs of your search results and, as above, query their security ratings from WithSecure Security Cloud. We then modify the search results page by inserting "rating icons" next to your search results, allowing you to see which links in the search results are safe, harmful, suspicious, illegal, or unsuitable for children.

Browsing Protection by WithSecure only monitors and collects the URLs being opened and those being referred to from the web pages that you open. We do not read or modify any other part of the contents of the web pages that you open except for the URLs contained within them and the search results for the purpose of inserting "rating icons" as stated above.

The URLs that you open or that are contained within the web pages that you open are forwarded to WithSecure Security Cloud (for the purposes stated above) anonymously, without any information that would allow us to identify you as the party opening the web pages.

Your rights

Information on your statutory rights and how to contact us please read our <a href="https://www.withsecure.com/en/about-us/legal/corporate-privacy" target="_blank">General privacy policy</a>.