How to define Smart Rules for CyberGhost VPN 7 for macOS

Smart Rules is a specific CyberGhost feature to help you automatically initiating your privacy protection, on stationary devices as well as on notebooks, laptops, or gaming computers, which get confronted with changing networks. 

To define a rule open the main page via the yellow lap ...

... and mark the menu entry 'Smart rules'.

Auto-connect

Enable the button 'Auto-connect on startup'. This will advise CyberGhost to automatically activate the last used connection as soon as the app is being started. It is recommended to use this option along with the 'Autostart' options in the CyberGhost general settings. This way your device gets protected as soon as it boots.

Hotspot actions

Once CyberGhost is running, it is able to detect any changes in WiFi networks around you. To specify the way if and how CyberGhost's WiFi protection should set in, once a new network is recognized, define here the wanted reaction type, separately for encrypted (password-protected) and open WiFi networks:

Choose one of the following actions:

• Never protect: By choosing this option, CyberGhost will ignore new WiFi networks.
• Ask me what to do: Every time your device detects a new secure resp. open WiFi network, CyberGhost asks you if you want to be protected.
  
• Always connect: Every time your device detects a new secure resp. open WiFi network, CyberGhost automatically starts a VPN connection.
• Disconnect VPN: If you already have a VPN connection running and you enter a new secure/open WiFi network, CyberGhost will disable the VPN connection.

Known Wi-Fi networks

In case you want to change the reaction type for a specific known network, focus on the list of already known networks.

Search for the network you want to assign a different reaction to and click on it. The options are the same as discribed above.

About the interaction of CyberGhost with known and unknown networks

The moment you enter a free or password-protected WiFi, CyberGhost recognizes, if it's a known or unknown network and whether it's password protected or open. If unknown, the app reacts the way you defined in the general WiFi settings, that is, either asks, protects, or ignores. If a network is already known, CyberGhost remembers how you wanted this single network to be treated the last time you visited, e. g. protect your device automatically.