Norton AntiVirus puts a lock on e-mail

From...

By Joris Evers

(IDG) -- Users of the Symantec's Norton AntiVirus software may have problems getting their e-mail when the program's e-mail filter fails to run properly.

The feature, designed to intercept malicious e-mail messages before they land in the user's inbox, is causing confusion amongst users and angering ISPs, according to computer troubleshooting Web site BugNet.

Norton AntiVirus versions 7.0 and above contain a program called Poproxy. This program sits in between the user's e-mail client and the mail server run by the Internet service provider (ISP). Incoming e-mail is routed through Proproxy for a security scan.

MESSAGE BOARD Security on the Net   IDG.net INFOCENTER IDG.net's main page Free daily newsletters Instant help from the Dummies Network Computerworld Communities Related IDG.net Stories Norton AntiVirus freezes some PCs Symantec's Corporate NAV 7.5 leaves some users hanging Symantec fixing LiveUpdate flaw Visit an IDG site Choose a site: IDG.net CIO Computerworld Darwin Dummies.com GamePro.com The Industry Standard ITWorld.com InfoWorld.com JavaWorld LinuxWorld Macworld Online Network World Fusion PC World Publish.com SunWorld IDG.net search

When Poproxy fails to run -- perhaps because of a conflict with another system process -- users get an error message saying: "The connection to the server has failed." When AntiVirus is installed the e-mail client preferences are changed to connect to Poproxy instead of the service offered by the ISP.

Symantec admits customers have reported e-mail trouble, but the company does not regard this as a product flaw.

"Usually it is a configuration error or installation trouble, nothing that can't be resolved," said Chris van der Grift, consumer product lead of Norton products at Symantec EMEA.

Van der Grift has no information on programs causing conflicts with Poproxy, but said there has been another cause blocking access to e-mail: unknowing users incorrectly disable the Poproxy program because they don't trust it.

"Overcautious customers tend to disable Poproxy manually in the Task Manager (accessed by hitting Control-Alt-Delete in Windows), others get weary of the program and decide to block it when their personal firewall reports that Poproxy is trying to connect to the Internet," said Van der Grift. "They don't realize that Poproxy is part of Norton AntiVirus."

Resetting the preferences in the e-mail client to the ISPs mail server will fix the problem, but will disable protection by Poproxy. However, according to Van der Grift, the system is still secure with Norton Auto-Protect enabled. This feature scans all files before they are run.

Tools: Sites to test personal firewalls for holes
February 27, 2001
Norton Utilities 6.0 and Antivirus 7.0 ship
October 31, 2000

Norton AntiVirus freezes some PCs
(PCWorld.com)
Symantec's Corporate NAV 7.5 leaves some users hanging
(Computerworld)
Symantec fixing LiveUpdate flaw
(PCWorld.com)
Symantec bundles safe surfing tools
(PCWorld.com)
Norton AntiVirus 2000 scans e-mails, blocks code
(IDG.net)
Norton patches firewall holes
(PCWorld.com)
HTML e-mail open to 'wiretaps'
(Network World Fusion)
If you send me mail, make it plain
(Network World Fusion)

Symantec Corp.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.