System Settings - TAO Secure Browser
The TAO Secure Browser is a specialized browser used to increase the security of online assessments. It restricts access to the user’s device and system features during a test, helping prevent cheating and unauthorized behavior.
This feature is not available in System Settings by default. To use it, contact your Account Manager.
Key security features
The lockdown browser enforces a controlled testing environment by:
Running in full-screen mode with no browser navigation controls
Restricting use to a single monitor
Blocking keyboard shortcuts
Preventing printing, screenshots, and screen recording
Restricting clipboard access
Detecting virtual machines, remote sessions, or modified devices
Performing device readiness checks before the test
Notifying the system in real time if a security breach occurs
Configuring the secure browser
Important: If the Lockdown Browser is enabled, then the browsers configured for the Diagnostic Tool are ignored and the Lockdown Browser takes precedence.
1. Enabling the feature
The secure browser setting is not visible in System Settings by default. It must be enabled by your Account Manager.
Once enabled, toggle Enable TAO Secure Browser to activate the feature.
2. Adding download links
In the Download Links section, add the installation links (for test-takers) that were provided by TAO for your organization:
Windows executable download
macOS executable download
iOS App Store link
These links are shared with test-takers when they are prompted to install the browser (see section below). If a link is not provided, that OS will not be included in the download page.
3. Configure the lockdown browser
In the Browser Configuration section, configure the following:
Minimum browser version: Define the minimum version of the lockdown browser required to access tests (for example,
=1.7.2). This will be provided when you receive the installation links from TAO.Redirect URL: Specifies where the secure browser sends test takers after installation.
4. Configure the process deny list
The process deny list allows administrators to block specific applications from running on a test taker’s device during a secure browser session.
Possible blocked applications
Communication tools (Zoom)
Development tools (Postman)
For each application you want to block, enter the following:
Process name: The exact system process name of the application (
zoom.exe,postman).Display name: Enter a user-friendly name for the application (“zoom”, “postman”). This name may be shown in messages or logs.
Select Add to include the application in the list.
To remove/unblock an application, select the delete (trash) icon.
Configuring the secure browser for sessions
The secure browser is enforced at the session level:
In session properties, enable Secure Browser Required under Security Options.
When enabled, the option to Pause the test on breaches becomes available. For information on how this option affects test takers, see the section below.
When enabled, TAO validates the following for that session:
The test-taker is using the secure browser
The browser version meets the minimum requirement
If either condition is not met, the test-taker cannot start or resume the test and an error message will display.
The Secure Browser Required flag defaults disabled for new sessions.
Test taker experience
Before the Test
If the secure browser is required for a session the test taker is enrolled in, test takers will need to complete the following steps before attempting to begin the session:
Test-takers logging in to My Sessions will see a prompt instructing them to install the secure browser.
The prompt will contain a link that redirects them to a dedicated download page with installation instructions for supported platforms.
This page may also be accessible from the TAO Portal login page (under Download TAO Secure Browser).
If a test taker tries to start a session before downloading the secure browser, or if they have any prohibited applications running when they start the session, these events will be logged (see the section below for details).
During the Test
Once the test begins in the secure browser, the test taker is constricted in the following ways:
The test runs in a locked, full-screen environment
Access to other applications and system features is restricted
The system continuously monitors for security violations
Test-takers are still able to refresh the test page using a built-in browser control (without keyboard shortcuts). This allows recovery from temporary issues (such as loading errors) without leaving the secure environment.
If the lockdown browser malfunctions during the session and the test was configured to pause, a pop-up error message instructs the test-taker to select Exit Test, to close the browser, exit the offending processes and re-launch the browser.
How breaches are logged
If a test taker tries to start the test session without the proper browser, the system generates a log entry in Proctoring Acs Log. The logged event will contain the following fields:
Actor: test-taker
Action: flag
Reason Code: 20999
Reason Message: Either:
Missing lockdown browser
Lockdown browser version mismatch. Required: {vX.X.X}, Detected: {vY.Y.Y}
User agent
If any blacklisted applications in the Process Deny list are running, the system generates a log entry in Proctoring Acs Log. The logged event will contain the following fields:
Actor: test-taker
Action: flag
Reason Code: 20999
Reason Message: Prohibited processes detected: {matched_processes}.