Protection from "password stealers"

Folder Guard can protect its passwords from malicious programs that intercept passwords by "stealing" the text you enter into the password prompts. You can enable or disable this protection by changing the Protect password prompts from the "password stealers" option. This option is enabled by default.

When this option is enabled, Folder Guard provides a visual indicator of the protection from the password stealers by showing the diagonal lines in the background of the password entry box:

When the anti-stealer protection is enabled, Folder Guard takes measures to stop the password stealers from obtaining the text of the password that you have entered into the password prompt. Keep in mind that such a protection is not absolute: for example, a spyware could install a dedicated device driver for your keyboard and intercept the keystrokes even before they reach the password prompt. The best way to ensure you are protected from such threats is to have a dedicated anti-virus/anti-spyware software installed and keep it up to date. The protection provided by Folder Guard should only be considered as a secondary (not the primary) line of defense.

Note also that Folder Guard protects from the password stealers only its own passwords, when you enter them into the password prompts displayed by Folder Guard itself. If you enter a password into any other program, or into a web page, Folder Guard does not perform any special protection of such a password. This is yet another good reason to keep your anti-virus software enabled and not to rely on Folder Guard alone to keep your passwords safe from spyware.

There may be a situation when the protection from the password stealers may interfere with other password tools you may be using. For example, if you use a software tool or a fingerprint reader that fills out the password forms for you automatically, then such a tool may not be able to enter your Folder Guard password for you. In this causes a problem, you can choose to either enter your Folder Guard password manually, or disable the Protect password prompts from the "password stealers" option to turn off such a protection. If the anti-stealer protection is disabled, Folder Guard uses the regular password prompt boxes (without the diagonal lines in the background) when you are entering its passwords: