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

[Peter]

On 6/07/2016 9:51 AM, Steve Dower wrote:
> 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

I suspect you're right.
It's a flawed model that they're using, and they are quite impervious to 
suggestions.
Glad 3.5 is winning :-)
Keep up the good work.
Peter