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Respond to incorrect Norton alerts that a file is infected or a program or website is suspicious

A false positive occurs when your Norton product incorrectly alerts that a file is infected, or a program or website is suspicious. Common indicators of a false positive are:

  • Norton detects a threat in a file that you believe is unlikely to be infected (for example, files with extensions such as, *.txt, *.dbf, *.log, *.hlp).

  • Norton alerts that a file or program developed and created by you or a legitimate company is suspicious, or is a threat

  • Norton indicates that a legitimate website is malicious

  • Norton blocks downloading a file as suspicious

Report a false positive

Before submitting a false positive, make sure that your Norton product has the latest definition updates. Run LiveUpdate to install all the available updates for your Norton product and then run a Full Scan.

If the false positive still occurs with the latest definitions, report it to us. The link to submit a false positive differs based on the exact detection, or the alert you receive.

To know more, read Report a Suspected Erroneous Detection (False Positive) to Norton .

What to do after you submit a false positive?

The submitted file will be analyzed for any potential false-positive detections and the updated definitions will be released to address the issue within 48 hours. In the mean time, you can try updating the definitions and scan the incorrectly detected file or application at frequent intervals.

Perform the following steps only if your business is getting impacted, or if you are certain that the file is safe, or if you are a developer who created the file.

Turn off Download Intelligence

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

    If you see the My Norton window, next to Device Security, click Open.

  2. Click Settings.

  3. In the Settings window, click Firewall.

  4. On the Intrusion and Browser Protection tab, next to Download Intelligence, click on the slider to turn it Off.

  5. Click Apply.

  6. In the Security Request dialog box, in the Select the duration drop-down list, select the duration that you want to turn off Download Insight for and then click OK.

  7. Click Close.

    If you are certain that the file is good, then you can exclude the files or folders from being scanned.

Exclude files or folders from scan on Windows

If you are certain that the file is good, then you can exclude the files or folders from being scanned.

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

    If you see the My Norton window, next to Device Security, click Open.

  2. Click Settings.

  3. In the Settings window, click Antivirus.

  4. On the Scans and Risks tab, scroll down to Exclusions / Low Risks.

  5. Next to Items to Exclude from Auto-Protect, Script Control, Behavioral Protection and Download Intelligence Detection row, click Configure.

  6. In the Real Time Exclusions window, click Add Folders or Add Files.

  7. Browse for and select the folders or files that you want to exclude from the scan, and then click OK.

  8. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Exclude files or folders from scan on Mac

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

    If you see the My Norton window, next to Device Security, click Open.

  2. In the Norton product main window, click Advanced or Settings.

  3. On the left pane, click Protect My Mac.

  4. In the right pane, next to Automatic Scans, click the settings icon.

  5. In the Automatic Scans window, from the drop-down menu, select Don't scan these folders.

  6. Click the + icon and select the folders or files that you want to exclude from the scan.

  7. When you finish adding the files and folders to exclude, click Save.

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DOCID: kb20100222230832EN
Operating System: Mac;Windows
Last modified: 08/08/2024