[Python-Dev] [Webmaster] Unsafe listing by Norton's "File Insight"

[Steve Dower]

On 05Jul2016 1615, Peter wrote:
> It's not the URL it is complaining of, rather
> On Windows, Norton Internet Security virus checks all downloads. One of
> the names they give to the result of their scanning is 'File Insight'.
> From what I can tell, it uses a few checks:
> - virus scanning using known signatures
> - observable malicious behaviour
> - how well known or used it is across other users of Nortons.
> It seems that the last of these is a causing the warning.
> Obviously this is not a problem for me, but may be concerning for less
> tech savvy Windows users that get the warning.
> There isn't a way within Nortons to 'report for clearance' of the file.
> And my chat with a (entry level) Norton representative got nowhere.
> I'll email screen captures in the next email. Let me know if they don't
> come through and I'll paste them somewhere.
> Let me know if I can give any more information.

I don't think there's anything we can do about this, other than convince 
more users of Norton Internet Security to use Python 2.7 (apparently 
Python 3.5 is more popular with that demographic :) )

The installer is signed with the PSF's certificate, which keeps Windows 
Smartscreen happy and is the only way we can indicate that it's 
trustworthy. If Norton requires different criteria then that is on them 
and not something we can fix.

Cheers,
Steve