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Norton File Insight marking installer as a threat

Norton Antivrus is marking an installer of mine, foobar_revision_1922.exe improperly as a threat because it has Very Few Users ( less than 5 in the Norton Community, WS.Reputation.1 ) and places the file in quarantine. Has anyone encountered this situation?

What is the best way to prevent Norton from flipping out?
This seems tedious and a Catch-22.

For future releases, such as foobar_revision_2116.exe, I would need to have five trusted users of the new version to pass quarantine.

If I rename all releases to a common filename foobar_installer.exe than this removes the useful version information and I imagine that the filesize is stored by Norton and this would fail anyway.

Suggestions?

Thanks.

Edit:
I have found the answer after a little more searching - https://submit.symantec.com/whitelist/. Symantec has a whitelist program

Edit 2 Norton offers Apple-like response times:

We have received your recent request to Symantec's Software White-list Request program. Complete requests with all necessary information will be processed immediately. Once a determination has been made regarding your request you will be notified via e-mail as to the decision made and the next steps, if any. For a Software White-list request, Symantec will target a response of advising you of our final determination within 3 weeks. This timeframe is subject to Symantec being supplied with all the necessary information to allow for a proper determination. Requests of incomplete information may result in a delay of the final determination. Any request for additional information regarding your submission will be sent to the contact email address you provided at the time of submission.

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brian_d Avatar asked May 16 '11 19:05

brian_d


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What is Norton file Insight?

The File Insight window lets you view the details of a file that you download. The information includes the general details, origin and lineage information, the resource usage, and the actions that the file has performed on your system.

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Turn off Download IntelligenceIf you see the My Norton window, next to Device Security, click Open. Click Settings. In the Settings window, click Firewall. On the Intrusion and Browser Protection tab, next to Download Intelligence, move the slider to the left to turn Off the feature.

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1 Answers

I had a similar problem: Norton File Insight flagging my posted MSI as a possible threat. I did the white-list application and it was approved fairly quickly (I believe within a day or two). It was probably approved quickly because it was digitally signed allowing the Norton team to confirm the file quickly.

But Norton File Insight, like IE9's new SmartScreen Filter, is not very friendly to small software developers. Norton File Insight just does not recognize that my MSI is digitally signed with a certificate from a trusted certificate authority. AND, I lost my white-listed status as soon as I posted an update to the MSI. I post updates probably 20 times a week so I think Norton File Insight will keep giving my customers grief.

And of course it is perpetually stuck on Very Few Users have downloaded this.

So the solution is to keep petitioning Symantec to get its act together and to keep filing White-List requests. Hardly ideal.

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Chris Avatar answered Sep 28 '22 19:09

Chris