Configuring access to websites on Android devices
August 2, 2024
ID 116303
You can configure the access of Android device users to websites by using Web Control. Web Control is included in the Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Android app. Web Control allows you to block access to malicious websites designed to spread malicious code. Web Control also blocks access to faked (phishing) websites designed to steal confidential data from users (for example, passwords to online banking or payment systems), thereby gaining access to their financial accounts. Web Control scans websites before you open them using the Kaspersky Security Network cloud service. After scanning, Web Control allows trusted websites to load and blocks malicious websites.
Web Control also supports website filtering by categories defined in Kaspersky Security Network cloud service. Filtering allows you to restrict user access to certain categories of websites (for example, those from the "Gambling, lotteries, sweepstakes" or "Internet communication" categories).
Web Control works only with supported versions of Google Chrome and does not work with other browsers.
Prerequisites
The operation of Web Control on a managed device requires the following:
- Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Android must be set as the Accessibility service.
Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Android prompts the device user to set the application as an Accessibility service through the Quick Start Wizard. The user can skip this step or disable the service through the device settings later. In this case, Web Control is not running.
- The device user must read and accept Statement regarding data processing for Web Protection (Web Protection Statement) in Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Android.
Otherwise, Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Android regularly prompts the device user to read and accept Web Protection Statement. The device status is set to Warning.
- On some devices, the user must manually grant two permissions: Display pop-up windows while running in the background and Display pop-up window.
Configuring access to websites
To configure access of Android device users to websites:
- Open Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud Management Console.
- Select the Security management → Security profiles section.
The Security profiles section contains a list of security profiles configured in Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud.
- In the list, select the security profile for the devices on which you want to configure access to websites.
- Click the link with the profile name to open the security profile properties window.
The security profile properties window displays settings available for all devices.
- In the Android group, select the Management settings section.
- Switch the toggle button to Web Control is enabled.
- Click the Settings link below the Web Control is enabled toggle button.
The Web Control settings page opens.
- To block users from browsing websites with specific content (for example, adult websites):
- In the Operation mode section, select Websites of selected categories are forbidden.
- In the Website access rules section, click the Settings link to create a list of blocked categories of websites.
- To allow user access only to websites that you specify:
- In the Operation mode section, select Only listed websites are allowed.
- In the Allowed websites section, click the Settings link to create a list of websites that users can browse. Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud supports only regular expressions. When entering the address of an allowed website, use the following templates:
http:\/\/www\.example\.com.*
—all child pages are allowed from this website (for example,http://www.example.com/about
).https:\/\/.*example\.com
—all subdomain pages of the website are allowed (for example,https://pictures.example.com
).
You can also use the expression
https?
to select the HTTP and HTTPS protocols. For more details on regular expressions, please refer to the Oracle Technical Support website.
- To block users from accessing all websites, in the Operation mode section, select All websites are blocked.
- Click the Save button.
If the prerequisites are met, Web Control is enabled on Android devices. Web Control blocks access to malicious and phishing websites in Google Chrome. User access to other websites is allowed according to the currently configured access rules.