Webroot Internet Security FAQs

Below we answer many common frequently asked questions about Webroot Internet Security. For more information read our complete Webroot Internet Security Plus Review here.

What Browsers Does Webroot Internet Security Work With?

Webroot Internet Security Plus can work with all major web browsers to keep your system protected:

  • Google Chrome 11 or newer
  • Internet Explorer version 11 or newer
  • Mozilla Firefox version 3.6 or newer
  • Microsoft Edge (partially supported)
  • Safari 5 or newer
  • Opera 11 or newer

What Operating Systems Does Webroot Internet Security Work With?

Webroot Internet Security works on these operating systems:

  • Microsoft Windows XP 32, 64-bit SP2, SP3
  • Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows Vista SP1, SP2 32 and 64-bit
  • Windows 7, 32 and 64-bit, Windows 7, SP1 32 and 64-bit
  • Windows 8 and 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Windows 10 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Mac OS X 10.7 Lion
  • Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion
  • Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks
  • Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite
  • Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan
  • Mac OS 10.12 Sierra
  • Mac OS 10.13 High Sierra
  • Mac OS 10.14 Mojave
  • Mac OS 10.15 Catalina

Webroot Internet Security does NOT work with Linux.

Does Webroot Internet Security Have a Firewall?

Webroot Internet Security Plus includes a firewall and Web Shield to keep your system protected while you are online or connected to a network.

The Webroot Firewall can monitor data that travels in and out of your system. The additional Web Shield will send you warnings of untrusted websites that could harm your system as you browse. The Web Shield also follows your web searches and shows risk warnings next to each result.

The Webroot Firewall and Web Shield are designed to work alongside the Windows Defender Firewall to form a more complete protection system.

Accessing the Firewall / Web Shield Settings

In the main Webroot Internet Security program window, click on PC Security to open the listed settings for Realtime Shield, Web Shield, and Firewall. There is an On / Off toggle for each and they are set to “On” by default, which is also the recommended setting.

Webroot Internet Security Plus Review Main Window

You can click PC Security -> Gear Icon -> Scan & Shields and the list of shields with On / Off toggle switches will be listed on the right of the window. You can also view the active connections which you can allow or block at any time.

Webroot Internet Security Plus Scan And Shield

Adjusting Webroot’s Firewall Settings in Advanced Settings

To adjust the Firewall / Web Shield settings, go to the upper right corner of the main Webroot program window. Click Advanced Settings (gear icon) -> Firewall / Web Shield. These will all be selected by default to keep your system protected. You can choose to uncheck these options at any time.

Webroot Internet Security Plus Advanced Settings Firewall Web Shield

Webroot’s firewall has some useful features included:

  • Alerts you to websites that may pose a threat
  • Analyzes the search results for potential risks
  • Both inbound and outbound traffic protection
  • Blocks dangerous websites
  • Anti-phishing
  • System infection warnings

Does Webroot Internet Security Have a Site Blocker?

Webroot Internet Security comes with a firewall and malicious website blocking but does not allow the user to specify websites to block. To do this:

  • Open the Webroot Internet Security Plus main program window and click “Advanced Settings” in the upper right corner
  • Click “Firewall / Web Shield”
  • You will see the “Block malicious websites” checkbox. Make sure this is selected. You can uncheck this box at any time to allow free browsing on all websites. However, this is not recommended as it puts your system at risk for malware attacks and other threats.
Webroot Internet Security Plus Site Blocker

Does Webroot Internet Security Protect My Webcam?

Webroot Internet Security Plus can indirectly protect your webcam by stopping malware that can hijack it.

Having effective antivirus and anti-malware software running on your computer is perhaps the best way to combat webcam hackers. Webroot Internet Security provides excellent protection from all types of malware. It also provides a Firewall and Web Shield for active monitoring of inbound and outbound traffic.

Can Webroot Internet Security Block Porn?

Porn sites are a problem if you are a parent with children or a working professional that needs to remain focused. These sites can also deliver dangerous malware and viruses to your system when viewed. Webroot Internet Security does not block porn sites directly, but can block the malicious security threats many porn sites present.

If you are looking for specific porn website blocking tools, check out these free porn blockers to download:

Does Webroot Internet Security Protect My Email?

Yes. Webroot Internet Security Plus is designed to help protect your system from malware, viruses and other threats delivered through email. Webroot protects your email using both a built-in firewall and anti-virus protection.

How Often Is Webroot Internet Security Updated?

Webroot Internet Security Plus has automatic cloud-based updates included with the program. You can enable or disable this option at any time by going into the Advanced Settings -> Install Settings -> Automatically download and apply updates.

You can also run Webroot Internet Security manual updates by viewing My Account -> Settings -> About SecureAnywhere.

Click on “Check for software updates” to receive any available updates. If your Webroot is up-to-date, a window will appear and say “You are currently using the newest SecureAnywhere software.” However, manual updates are mostly unnecessary now as the automatic cloud updates require no involvement by the user.

Does Webroot Internet Security Run at Startup?

Webroot Internet Security Plus is designed to provide protection for your system immediately upon startup. The Webroot Internet Security Plus application is always available from the moment your machine startup begins.

Webroot Internet Security Plus scans can be scheduled to run at any time, day or night. There is an option to run a system scan at bootup. You can find this in the Advanced Settings -> Scheduler.

Webroot’s Firewall / Shields settings provide the option of blocking threats automatically if no user is logged into the computer. So, if the computer is turned on, it will automatically check for threats even if the user has not logged in yet, or has logged out. You can find these options in the Advanced Settings > Shields, or Advanced Settings > Firewall / Web Shield.

How Much RAM Does Webroot Internet Security Use?

Webroot Internet Security uses very little RAM, so you should not see a marked decrease in system productivity while it runs. Of course, this depends on your computer’s hardward and software setup.

We ran a test of Webroot Internet Security on a Windows 10 PC with 12 GB of RAM installed.

Webroot Internet Security Plus Ram

The actual memory resources used during our Webroot Internet Security scan test was very low in comparison to other programs running in the background.

There were almost no signs of slow-down on our computer. So, if you are curious if Webroot Internet Security Plus will cause a speed decrease, the answer is likely no.

For more information, read our Full Webroot Internet Security Plus Review here.

What Are Webroot Internet Security’s Hardware Requirements?

The minimum hardware requirements to run Webroot Internet Security are:

Processors

  • Intel Pentium
  • Intel Celeron
  • AMD K6
  • AMD Athlon
  • AMD Duron
  • Other compatible processors

RAM

  • 128 MB RAM

Hard Disk

  • 10 MB Hard Disk Space

How To Get Webroot Internet Security Technical Support?

Webroot Internet Security Plus offers easy-access technical support included. Access is very easy.

In your Webroot main program window, click Support / Community -> Get Customer Support. This will take you to the Webroot Customer Service webpage.

Webroot Internet Security Plus Review Support

You will see a list of topics and solutions related to the operating system you are using. These include Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac OS X. There are also Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of the page for common user problems.

You can also access the Webroot Community support webpage by clicking Support / Community -> Go to the Webroot Community in the main program window. This will take you to the Webroot website where you can enter the issue into the query search field. Users from the Webroot Community will likely have asked the same or similar questions about their own software and this can provide you with an answer to your question.

If you can’t find a solution to your problem, you can message Webroot Tech Support directly. On the bottom of the Webroot Customer Service webpage is a link to send a message to customer support. They will contact you within 24 hours with an email response regarding your problem.

Can Webroot Internet Security Remove Viruses?

Webroot Internet Security Plus is an antivirus program designed for this specific purpose.

The following are the types of threats Webroot Internet Security can detect and remove from your system:

  • Viruses
  • Spyware
  • Trojans
  • Worms
  • Adware

What Viruses Does Webroot Internet Security Protect Against?

Webroot Internet Security protects against past, present, and future viruses. It comes with very fast updates to keep your system ahead of the newest threats. Some of the viruses Webroot protects against include:

  • Conficker
  • Yankee Doodle
  • Storm Worm
  • Zeus
  • Nimda

For more information on computer viruses, read our List of Computer Viruses here.

Does Webroot Internet Security Block Ransomware?

Webroot Internet Security Plus is designed to protect users’ systems from ransomware along with other threats.

Ransomware is a form of malware created with the purpose of encrypting a user’s data and then blackmailing them into paying a ransom through the threat of publishing it online. A decryption key is provided to the user to unlock their system or data only after they have paid the ransom by a certain time. Ransomware is difficult to spot as it usually arrives via email attachments from trusted sources. 

Webroot Internet Security has a firewall that can block ransomware from entering your system. It can also scan for and remove ransomware if it has infected your system.

Does Webroot Internet Security Block Scareware?

Yes, Webroot Internet Security Plus is designed to detect, block, and remove all types of infections including scareware. It is continuously updated in real-time with the Webroot Intelligence Network that identifies new threats on a second-to-second basis. It also includes a built-in Identity Sheild that, among other things, protects your browser from suspicious modifications and identifies websites you visit as safe.

Scareware is a type of malware or Potentially Unwanted Program (PUA) that scams users of their time and money by manipulating their emotions, primarily fear. It will attempt to scare users into believing they need to sign up for a service or download an application to solve a problem that does not exist. Scareware can push financial, computer virus, or even medical dangers that are out of proportion to reality. Often, these threats seem relatively harmless, such as promoting illegitimate Flash Player updates.

Will Webroot Internet Security Protect My Identity?

Webroot Internet Security can help protect your identity by detecting and helping to stop the following types of identity theft threats:

Phishing. Many phishing attacks take place via emails that appear as legitimate and trustworthy. These can include co-workers or business emails. When users click on the posted link, they are often lead to a website that asks for login credentials which it can capture.

Spyware. Once a user’s system is infected with spyware it will “spy” on them and collect personal information. Social engineering tactics are often employed to convince users into downloading these types of malware. Spyware also can be secondary Trojan payloads that are attached to downloads.

Keyloggers. This is a type of malware that can monitor user’s keystrokes to steal useful information, such as passwords and account numbers. They will then send this data to a cyber criminal’s server for later use.