Conflict: Network both secured and unsecured

[Fox and Hedgehog]

I just went to my office where I have a password-secured internet connection. On my desktop Kaspersky is saying the connection is secured, but on my phone it's giving me the warning that the (same) connection is unsecured. Both phone and desktop connect automatically. I have never gotten the unsecured message before.

 

TIA for any help.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @Fox and Hedgehog, 

Welcome!

The Kaspersky software, for desktop & for android devices, is designed to work differently. 

1. On the phone, which Kaspersky version is installed: How to find the full version number of Kaspersky for Android? 
2. On the phone, has the VPN been activated? About Smart Protection in VPN

Please let us know?

Thank you?

Flood?+?

Edited June 5, 2022 by Flood and Flood's wife

[Fox and Hedgehog]

Hi Flood et al,

Thanks for your reply!

The version is 11.83.4.7435. The VPN is not activated.

Nancy

 

 

[Flood and Flood's wife]

45 minutes ago, Fox and Hedgehog said:

Version 11.83.4.7435. The VPN is not activated.

Hello @Fox and Hedgehog, Nancy, 

You're most welcome!

Thank you for posting back & the information!

1. Please check Google Play Store, there's a newer version, if it's available in your region, please update, then power OFF and ON, the Android, then make sure the Kaspersky software is active & the version has updated?
2. Is Wi-Fi security check enabled? 
3. Post a full screen image of the "unsecured" alert from the Android phone please? 

Thank you?

Flood?+?

[Berny]

@Fox and Hedgehog Welcome.

Also , please see → How to secure Wi-Fi networks

" ... how to configure your router to make your home Wi-Fi network secure ..."

[Fox and Hedgehog]

 Hi Flood+ and Berny,

Berny, thanks for the link.

Flood+,

Thanks again. Answers to 1, 2 & 3:

1. Did this. Warning still appearing.

2. Wi-Fi security check is enabled.

3. See:

 

 

 

[Fox and Hedgehog]

P.S. The VPN icon is showing on the screenshot because I enabled it temporarily before performing the update. (I bought the sw overseas but am back in U.S. now, and it won't let me re-install unless I have a VPN running. Didn't know if that applied to updates as well so I turned the VPN on.)

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @Fox and Hedgehog, Nancy, 

You're most welcome!

Thank you for the information & the image!  

?The message alert is coming from Wi-Fi security check?

1. So, the 1024_Suite130 wifi network is the work address & known to you - correct? IF "yes", answer Trust this network & or, check with the office IT/Network tech & ask them if the work network is unsecured, it would be very surprising if it was(ioo)?
2. On the Kaspersky icon, (next to the AT&T), what are the 2 outstanding notifications? 
3. WE can't see the VPN icon, on the screenshot?

Thank you?

Flood?+?

Edited June 6, 2022 by Flood and Flood's wife

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @Fox and Hedgehog, Nancy, 

Update, apologies, we can see the VPN icon, on the screenshot, do not worry about that. 

Thank you?

Flood?+?

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by Flood and Flood's wife

[Fox and Hedgehog]

Hi again Flood+,

1. Yes, this is the (supposedly secure) network for my office suite. It is just for my one-person business alone. The building houses a number of small businesses in different suites, and each business pays the landlord for an individual secured internet connection with a distinct password. They are all on the same router though, I think. If I can't get this resolved I will check with the landlord who is in contact with the IT person (an outside contractor).

2. Kaspersky is giving me three issues at the moment: "Turn off accessibility for unknown apps" (can't figure out how to do that); "Safe browsing does not support the default browser" (I use DuckDuckGo and am okay with that); and of course "You connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi network."

By the way, I noticed that my phone Kaspersky is not giving me the "unsecured" warning when it connects to my home wi-fi, just with the office wi-fi. And the warning about the office wi-fi just happened a couple of days ago, though I've had the connection for several months.

Also, I notice there's a "Network settings reset" option on my phone. Should I try that?

Thanks again.

Nancy

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @Fox and Hedgehog, Nancy, 

Thank you for the information!

1. ❓Have you answered Trust this network to 1024_Suite130 wifi network ❓
2. Re the msg not appearing at home, but appearing at work, atm, you don't know if there's been a network change at work, that may be contributing to the problem, it's worth finding out, from the landlord & or the tech (ioo). 
3. Re "Turn off accessibility for unknown apps", it *may* vary according to Android version, however, check: open your Android device's Settings app, in the search field type unknown, the common areas are: Biometrics & security & Apps, Special access - check to see if you've granted access for any unknown apps, the other way is to manually go thru the app list, one by one, to check the permissions, & make sure "accessibility" is only enabled for trusted apps? IF you get stuck, post back? 
4. Resetting Android network settings brings Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VPN, and cellular connections to the original state. It will erase all saved Wi-Fi passwords, and other connection information. If you want to use them again, you need to establish them from the very beginning. Don't do a reset unless you have all the authentication data available. 

Please keep us posted? 

Thank you?

Flood?+?

Edited June 7, 2022 by Flood and Flood's wife

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Additional @Fox and Hedgehog, Nancy, 

• A Kaspersky blog Why you should avoid installing unknown apps, has two sets of guidelines, Android 8 & later & Android 7 & earlier, they may also be of some help? 

Please keep us posted? 

Thank you?

Flood?+?

[Fox and Hedgehog]

Hi Flood+,

1. I have not answered "Trust This Network" because I don't want Kaspersky to trust it if it's not trustworthy. If I choose that answer just to see what happens, can I "un-choose" it afterwards? If I'm going to have to deal with the IT guy I want the problem to be evident, which it will not be if I tell Kaspersky to trust the network.

2. I guess I will have to do that. Sigh. ?

3. Typing "unknown" in the Settings search bar just brings up the "Install unknown apps" permission. I have looked through my list of apps and their permissions, and none of them even lists accessibility as a permission to be turned on or off. The Accessibility section in Settings just allows me to adjust the accessibility features; there's nothing about giving apps permissions there. The Android version is 8.1.0.

4. I have the Wi-Fi password, and don't have Bluetooth or VPN on the phone. If I reset the network settings, will I have to set up my cellular connection again? I don't remember having to do that originally, when I got the phone, and I don't have any authentication data for that. Wouldn't that be in the SIM card, and wouldn't be affected by a network reset?

I have very few added apps on the phone, and they're almost all big-name stuff like Lyft. The only one I never heard of before I installed it is a messaging app called Textra, but again, the permissions listed in the App info don't include accessibility.

Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate your time.

Nancy

 

 

[Flood and Flood's wife]

1 hour ago, Fox and Hedgehog said:

Hi Flood+,

1. I have not answered "Trust This Network" because I don't want Kaspersky to trust it if it's not trustworthy. If I choose that answer just to see what happens, can I "un-choose" it afterwards? If I'm going to have to deal with the IT guy I want the problem to be evident, which it will not be if I tell Kaspersky to trust the network.

2. I guess I will have to do that. Sigh. ?

3. Typing "unknown" in the Settings search bar just brings up the "Install unknown apps" permission. I have looked through my list of apps and their permissions, and none of them even lists accessibility as a permission to be turned on or off. The Accessibility section in Settings just allows me to adjust the accessibility features; there's nothing about giving apps permissions there. The Android version is 8.1.0.

4. I have the Wi-Fi password, and don't have Bluetooth or VPN on the phone. If I reset the network settings, will I have to set up my cellular connection again? I don't remember having to do that originally, when I got the phone, and I don't have any authentication data for that. Wouldn't that be in the SIM card, and wouldn't be affected by a network reset?

I have very few added apps on the phone, and they're almost all big-name stuff like Lyft. The only one I never heard of before I installed it is a messaging app called Textra, but again, the permissions listed in the App info don't include accessibility.

Hello @Fox and Hedgehog, Nancy, 

You're most welcome!

Thank you for the information!

1. Thanks, we just wanted a definitive answer as we were still unsure at the previous reply. 
2. Definitely, bc, then we can act according to their information. 
3. Leave this with us, we had the problem recently & fixed it, but now have to "recreate" it, to step you thru it, it'll take a few hours tomorrow to do that, capturing images etc, will update this topic as soon as we've put it all together, only thing that may be a problem is our phones are v11, v12 & v7.1.1, but, hopefully, it may help?
4. Related to "Turn off accessibility for unknown apps", has root/Admin access ever been granted? 
5. Regarding Textra, it needs to be the DEFAULT SMS app on the phone, that means Kaspersky's SMS safe messaging feature will not work. 
6. Regarding using DuckDuckGo as the default browser, Safe browsing is only for Supported browsers = Chrome & may also work with pre-installed browsers of some devices, for example Samsung Internet on a Samsung device. 
7. Don't reset Network settings atm please. 
8. Do do a backup of everything.

Thank you?

Flood?+?

Edited June 8, 2022 by Flood and Flood's wife

[Fox and Hedgehog]

Hi Flood+,

Here we are again! ?

I have emailed my landlord & hope to hear back before long.

It's very good of you to pursue the accessibility permission issue. You are really going above and beyond!

Re root/Admin access, I have heard of that but I am not expert enough to mess with that stuff, so unless one of the techs at the AT&T store (where I go when things really go wrong, lol) did that, which seems unlikely, no.

Textra is the default SMS app. I'm confused, does that mean "SMS Safe" will work, or not?

I performed a Google Backup in Settings. Does that back up everything? I always seem to lose my phone contacts on phone reset or transfer. (Google only seems to keep gmail contacts, not phone contacts.)

Thanks again for all your help.

Nancy

[Flood and Flood's wife]

2 hours ago, Fox and Hedgehog said:

1. I have emailed my landlord & hope to hear back before long.
2. Re root/Admin access, I have heard of that but I am not expert enough to mess with that stuff. 
3. Textra is the default SMS app. I'm confused, does that mean "SMS Safe" will work, or not?
4. I performed a Google Backup in Settings. Does that back up everything? I always seem to lose my phone contacts on phone reset or transfer. (Google only seems to keep gmail contacts, not phone contacts.)
5. Accessibility permission issue.

 

Hello @Fox and Hedgehog, Nancy, 

It's no trouble at all?

Thank you for the additional information!

1. Excellent. 
2. Don't worry about root/Admin access, there would be a specific alert, we were just covering all bases!
3. Re Textra, KIS SMS, Safe messaging, only blocks phishing links, from SMS messages, in Google Chrome. As you're using DuckDuckGo as the default browser the SMS, Safe messaging will not work - the doco says: "To protect yourself from dangerous links in instant messages, set Google Chrome as your default browser", also, we think the Kaspersky app "expects" the native SMS app to be the DEFAULT, for KIS SMS, Safe messaging feature to work, but, we're not 100% sure, so, we've installed Textra; as soon as we can conclude our tests, we will update this topic. 
4. Re Google backup, "Does that back up everything?", no. There's quite a few good, free backup apps in Google Play Store, we consider: Contacts, SMS, Call logs, Calendars, as critical & not captured by Google BU. We've not found an app that archives Notes. Media: photos & videos can be done with Google BU, but we prefer to use the Super backup app. 
5. Try as we might we could not replicate the issue UNTIL, we updated the phone, then, all of a sudden it popped up &, just like you, on our phone, there are NO unknown apps & NO apps with accessibility turned ON, we also discovered, the document link associated with the alert, opens a Kaspersky Security Cloud for Android, Android Accessibility is enabled for a third-party application, not KIS & not Kaspersky Standard?. Our recommendation is, if you're absolutely certain there are no UNKNOWN apps, with accessibility turned ON, select Ignore this warning - see image
6. Spoiler

   

7. (ioo) the Kaspersky app needs to have enough "smarts" to report "which" app is the problem. 

Thank you?

Flood?+?

Edited June 9, 2022 by Flood and Flood's wife

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @Fox and Hedgehog, Nancy, 

Re our previous reply, KIS SMS, Safe messaging, only blocks phishing links, from SMS messages, in Google Chrome. As you're using DuckDuckGo as the default browser the SMS, Safe messaging will not work - the doco says: "To protect yourself from dangerous links in instant messages, set Google Chrome as your default browser", is still correct, also, the good news: the KIS app also detects phishing links, known to KSN, even if the default SMS app is Textra:

Spoiler

 

Thank you?

Flood?+?

[Fox and Hedgehog]

Hi Flood+

3. I've made Chrome my default browser. I hope this doesn't become too annoying. I don't like Google knowing everything I do, so I currently use Chrome only for Twitter and news. I keep Firefox for business, and do most of my personal searching in DuckDuckGo.

Addendum: Thanks for finding out about Textra. When I was using the built-in message app I kept getting added to multi-person "conversations" I knew nothing about. Textra has stopped that, and allows me to block spam numbers.

4. I have installed the Super backup app, but I'm not sure what I'd use it for. It backs up to the phone's internal storage, right? So if I were to have to do a total phone reset, or transfer the SIM card to another phone, that backup would be lost/would not be transferred. I just used the app to back up my contacts, then shared the resulting file with Dropbox; but I don't know how I'd use that Dropbox file to restore the contacts if I had to do a phone reset/transfer.

5. How do I know if accessibility has been turned on for an app? I have been through the list of apps in Settings, and none of them even lists "accessibility" as a permission to be turned on or off. I've also looked under Settings ->General->Apps & Notifications->App permissions, and "accessibility" is not in the list of permissions.

Thanks for all your help!

Nancy

 

 

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @Fox and Hedgehog, Nancy, 

You are most welcome?!

So sorry for the delay, we needed a little time to work thru your last reply... 

1. Re: Textra. You're most welcome! It certainly has more features than the native app, we're very happy to know it's compatible with KIS. Irrespective of the SMS app (native or Textra) - the thing to watch out for is - KIS will only detect SMS phishing links if the links are in Kaspersky databases, topic that illuminates that aspect:  KIS Premium Safe Messaging question.
2. Re: Chrome default browser (annoying). Agreed & WE hope so too! We "tweak" Chrome as much as possible to make it less "nosey"; if you give us some time we'll put together a cheat-sheet, probably have to share it privately as it's off topic.

3.  Re: Settings, Accessibility section: please post a screen-image; also select a couple of apps, for example TEXTRA & KIS, go to their APPS, permissions, capture & post screen images, if there's a lot, post to cloud & post the share link please, otherwise your topic will be bigger than Texas?

4. Re: Backup, previously we had a discussion about Contacts & you advised: "Google only seems to keep Gmail contacts, not phone contacts."; we proposed the Backup solution to cover backing up of: SMS, Contacts, Call Logs, Calendars, Call Recorder & Pictures; it can also backup apps, we don't worry about that. *It's your choice what you chose to backup*, backup what you cannot afford to lose IF you had to do a factory reset. The process we use is: 

• Backup to phone. 
• Automatically set up the backup so it's also sent to Google CLOUD, our cloud backups are on a weekly basis, because there's a fair few changes each week, again, the schedule is up to you. (We don't use Dropbox, but the process would be much the same unless there's something weird about Dropbox, it's only cloud storage so it should not make any difference).  
• Restoring files, depends which Category: SMS, Contacts, Call Logs, Calendars, Call Recorder & Pictures & file type, the Backup gives you the option when you rebuild the phone, (for Contacts, it's a .vcf file, Pictures are .jpg, SMS are .xml & so on and so forth); after the Factory reset, install KIS, install Backup software, select Contacts, select Restore - that's it. 

Thank you?

Flood?+?

Edited June 12, 2022 by Flood and Flood's wife

[Fox and Hedgehog]

Hi Flood+!

1. I would never click a link in a text if I wasn't expecting the text and knew the source, so I should be okay on that. Thanks for finding out about Textra.

2. Re the Chrome browser, you've already done so much, I don't want you spending more time on me! I will still use Chrome only for politics, and Google is welcome to know which party I belong to... ? I know that using the DuckDuckGo browser is less secure, but it is what is is.

3. Here's a link to the screenshots on Dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vv4l0njf7gfluwi/AAAfwD8mhjOeY-BCMMzodf9ra?dl=0

As you see, I noticed "Special access"->"Unrestricted data access" after "App permissions" under Settings->General->Apps & notifications, and thought it might be relevant, so I included screenshots of that as well. Pandora was the only extraneous app with" Unrestricted data access" turned on, the others are all apps that were built into the phone. (I think you call these "native" apps?) I turned that off for Pandora, but I'm still getting the warning to turn off accessibility for unknown apps.

4. Thanks for this. I didn't realize the Super Backup app had a setting for cloud backup. It doesn't give the option to back up to Dropbox, so I chose Google Drive, which I hardly use, but will be useful for this.

Thanks again for all your help.

Nancy

[Fox and Hedgehog]

P.S. I guess I should use Chrome when buying stuff on the phone, though, shouldn't I? I use Firefox on my desktop almost exclusively, and Kaspersky opens a secure window when I try to go to say a bank's website, presumably because I have the Kaspersky Firefox add-on or extension, whichever it's called. (It doesn't for Amazon though, for some reason.)

P.P.S. I had to learn how to get the link to the Dropbox folder. You are educating me!