Eset Ess 8 Userguide Enu
Eset Ess 8 Userguide Enu
Eset Ess 8 Userguide Enu
User Guide
(intended for product version 8.0 and higher)
Microsoft Windows 8.1 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP / Home Server 2003 / Home Server 2011
REV. 1/16/2015
Contents
4.1.3.2 Adding
..................................................................................35
Device control rules
1. ESET Smart
.......................................................5
Security 4.1.4 HIPS ..............................................................................36
4.1.5 Gamer
..............................................................................38
mode
1.1 What's
....................................................................................................6
new in version 8
1.2 System
....................................................................................................6
requirements 4.2 Network
....................................................................................................39
4.2.1 Filtering
..............................................................................40
modes
1.3 Prevention
....................................................................................................7
4.2.1.1 Learning
..................................................................................41
mode
2. Installation
.......................................................8 4.2.2 Firewall
..............................................................................42
profiles
4.2.3 Configuring
..............................................................................42
and using rules
2.1 Live....................................................................................................8
installer
4.2.3.1 Rules
..................................................................................43
setup
2.2 Offline
....................................................................................................9
installation
2.2.1 Advanced
..............................................................................10
settings 4.2.3.1.1 Detailed........................................................................44
view of all rules
4.2.3.2 Editing
..................................................................................45
rules
2.3 Product
....................................................................................................10
activation
4.2.4 Configuring
..............................................................................45
zones
2.4 Entering
....................................................................................................11
username and password 4.2.4.1 Network
..................................................................................46
authentication
2.5 Upgrading
....................................................................................................11
to a more recent version 4.2.4.1.1 Zone authentication
........................................................................46
- Client configuration
2.6 First
....................................................................................................12
scan after installation 4.2.4.1.2 Zone authentication
........................................................................48
- Server configuration
4.2.5 Establishing
..............................................................................49
connection - detection
3. Beginner's
.......................................................13
guide
4.2.6 Logging
..............................................................................50
3.1 The
....................................................................................................13
main program window 4.2.7 System
..............................................................................50
integration
3.2 Updates
....................................................................................................15 4.3 Web
....................................................................................................51
and email
3.3 Trusted
....................................................................................................16
zone setup 4.3.1 Email..............................................................................52
client protection
3.4 Anti-Theft
....................................................................................................17 4.3.1.1 Integration
..................................................................................52
with email clients
3.5 Parental
....................................................................................................17
control tools 4.3.1.1.1 Email client
........................................................................53
protection configuration
4.3.1.2 IMAP,
..................................................................................53
IMAPS scanner
4. Work.......................................................18
with ESET Smart Security 4.3.1.3 POP3,
..................................................................................54
POP3S filter
4.1 Computer
....................................................................................................19 4.3.1.4 Antispam
..................................................................................55
protection
4.1.1 Antivirus
..............................................................................20
and antispyware 4.3.1.4.1 Adding addresses
........................................................................56
to whitelist and blacklist
4.1.1.1 Real-time
..................................................................................20
file system protection 4.3.1.4.2 Marking messages
........................................................................56
as spam
4.1.1.1.1 Advanced
........................................................................21
scan options 4.3.2 Web..............................................................................57
access protection
4.1.1.1.2 Cleaning........................................................................22
levels 4.3.2.1 HTTP,
..................................................................................57
HTTPs
4.1.1.1.3 When to........................................................................23
modify real-time protection configuration 4.3.2.2 URL
..................................................................................58
address management
4.1.1.1.4 Checking........................................................................23
real-time protection 4.3.3 Protocol
..............................................................................59
filtering
4.1.1.1.5 What to do
........................................................................23
if real-time protection does not work 4.3.3.1 Web
..................................................................................59
and email clients
4.1.1.2 Computer
..................................................................................23
scan 4.3.3.2 Excluded
..................................................................................60
applications
4.1.1.2.1 Custom scan
........................................................................24
launcher 4.3.3.3 Excluded
..................................................................................61
IP addresses
4.1.1.2.2 Scan progress
........................................................................25 4.3.3.3.1 Add IPv4 ........................................................................61
address
4.1.1.2.3 Scan profiles
........................................................................26 4.3.3.3.2 Add IPv6 ........................................................................61
address
4.1.1.3 Startup
..................................................................................26
scan 4.3.3.4 SSL..................................................................................62
protocol checking
4.1.1.3.1 Automatic
........................................................................27
startup file check 4.3.3.4.1 Certificates
........................................................................62
4.1.1.4 Idle-state
..................................................................................27
scanning 4.3.3.4.1.1 Trusted certificates
........................................................................62
4.1.1.5 Exclusions
..................................................................................27 4.3.3.4.1.2 Excluded........................................................................63
certificates
4.1.1.6 ThreatSense
..................................................................................29
engine parameters setup 4.3.3.4.1.3 Encrypted........................................................................63
SSL communication
4.1.1.6.1 Objects ........................................................................29 4.3.4 Anti-Phishing
..............................................................................63
protection
4.1.1.6.2 Options ........................................................................29
4.4 Parental
....................................................................................................64
control
4.1.1.6.3 Cleaning........................................................................30 4.4.1 Web..............................................................................67
page content filtering
4.1.1.6.4 Extensions
........................................................................30 4.4.2 Blocked
..............................................................................68
and allowed web pages
4.1.1.6.5 Limits ........................................................................30
4.5 Updating
....................................................................................................68
the program
4.1.1.6.6 Other ........................................................................31 Update
..............................................................................71
settings
4.5.1
4.1.1.7 An..................................................................................31
infiltration is detected Update
..................................................................................72
profiles
4.5.1.1
4.1.1.8 Document
..................................................................................33
protection Advanced
..................................................................................72
update setup
4.5.1.2
4.1.2 Removable
..............................................................................33
media
4.5.1.2.1 Update mode
........................................................................72
4.1.3 Device
..............................................................................33
control
4.5.1.2.2 Proxy server
........................................................................73
4.1.3.1 Device
..................................................................................34
control rules
4.5.1.2.3 Connecting
........................................................................73
to the LAN
4.5.2 Update
..............................................................................74
rollback 5.7.2 How..............................................................................107
to create rescue CD
4.5.3 How ..............................................................................75
to create update tasks 5.7.3 Target
..............................................................................107
selection
5.7.4 Settings
..............................................................................107
4.6 Tools
....................................................................................................76
4.6.1 Log files
..............................................................................77 5.7.4.1 Folders
..................................................................................108
4.6.1.1 Log
..................................................................................78
maintenance 5.7.4.2 ESET
..................................................................................108
Antivirus
4.6.2 Scheduler
..............................................................................78 5.7.4.3 Advanced
..................................................................................108
settings
4.6.3 Protection
..............................................................................80
statistics 5.7.4.4 Internet
..................................................................................109
protocol
4.6.4 Watch
..............................................................................80
activity 5.7.4.5 Bootable
..................................................................................109
USB device
4.6.5 ESET SysInspector
..............................................................................81 5.7.4.6 Burn
..................................................................................109
4.6.6 ESET Live
..............................................................................81
Grid 5.7.5 Working
..............................................................................109
with ESET SysRescue
4.6.6.1 Suspicious
..................................................................................82
files 5.7.5.1 Using
..................................................................................110
ESET SysRescue
4.6.7 Running
..............................................................................83
processes 5.8 Command
....................................................................................................110
Line
4.6.8 Network
..............................................................................84
connections
4.6.9 Quarantine
..............................................................................86 6. Glossary
.......................................................112
4.6.10 Proxy..............................................................................87
server setup 6.1 Types
....................................................................................................112
of infiltration
4.6.11 Alerts..............................................................................87
and notifications 6.1.1 Viruses
..............................................................................112
4.6.11.1 Message
..................................................................................88
format 6.1.2 Worms
..............................................................................112
4.6.12 Submission
..............................................................................89
of samples for analysis 6.1.3 Trojans
..............................................................................112
4.6.13 System
..............................................................................89
updates 6.1.4 Rootkits
..............................................................................113
6.1.5 Adware
..............................................................................113
4.7 User
....................................................................................................89
interface
4.7.1 Graphics
..............................................................................90 6.1.6 Spyware
..............................................................................113
4.7.2 Alerts..............................................................................90
and notifications 6.1.7 Packers
..............................................................................114
4.7.2.1 Advanced
..................................................................................90
setup 6.1.8 Potentially
..............................................................................114
unsafe applications
4.7.3 Hidden
..............................................................................91
notification windows 6.1.9 Potentially
..............................................................................114
unwanted applications
4.7.4 Access
..............................................................................91
setup 6.1.10 Botnet
..............................................................................114
4.7.5 Program
..............................................................................91
menu 6.2 Types
....................................................................................................114
of remote attacks
4.7.6 Context
..............................................................................92
menu 6.2.1 DoS..............................................................................115
attacks
6.2.2 DNS..............................................................................115
Poisoning
5. Advanced
.......................................................93
user 6.2.3 Worm
..............................................................................115
attacks
5.1 Profile
....................................................................................................93
manager 6.2.4 Port..............................................................................115
scanning
6.2.5 TCP..............................................................................115
desynchronization
5.2 Keyboard
....................................................................................................93
shortcuts
6.2.6 SMB..............................................................................116
Relay
5.3 Diagnostics
....................................................................................................94
6.2.7 ICMP
..............................................................................116
attacks
5.4 Import
....................................................................................................94
and export settings
5.5 Idle
....................................................................................................95
state detection 6.3 ESET
....................................................................................................116
Technology
6.3.1 Exploit
..............................................................................116
Blocker
5.6 ESET
....................................................................................................95
SysInspector
6.3.2 Advanced
..............................................................................116
Memory Scanner
5.6.1 Introduction
..............................................................................95
to ESET SysInspector
6.3.3 Vulnerability
..............................................................................117
Shield
5.6.1.1 Starting
..................................................................................95
ESET SysInspector
6.3.4 ESET..............................................................................117
Live Grid
5.6.2 User..............................................................................96
Interface and application usage
6.3.5 Botnet
..............................................................................117
protection
5.6.2.1 Program
..................................................................................96
Controls
6.3.6 Java..............................................................................117
Exploit Blocker
5.6.2.2 Navigating
..................................................................................97
in ESET SysInspector
5.6.2.2.1 Keyboard........................................................................99
shortcuts 6.4 Email
....................................................................................................118
6.4.1 Advertisements
..............................................................................118
5.6.2.3 Compare
..................................................................................100
6.4.2 Hoaxes
..............................................................................118
5.6.3 Command
..............................................................................101
line parameters
6.4.3 Phishing
..............................................................................119
5.6.4 Service
..............................................................................101
Script
6.4.4 Recognizing
..............................................................................119
spam scams
5.6.4.1 Generating
..................................................................................102
Service script
6.4.4.1 Rules
..................................................................................119
5.6.4.2 Structure
..................................................................................102
of the Service script
6.4.4.2 Whitelist
..................................................................................120
5.6.4.3 Executing
..................................................................................104
Service scripts
6.4.4.3 Blacklist
..................................................................................120
5.6.5 FAQ..............................................................................105
6.4.4.4 Exception
..................................................................................120
list
5.6.6 ESET..............................................................................106
SysInspector as part of ESET Smart Security
6.4.4.5 Server-side
..................................................................................120
control
5.7 ESET
....................................................................................................106
SysRescue
5.7.1 Minimum
..............................................................................106
requirements
1. ESET Smart Security
ESET Smart Security represents a new approach to truly integrated computer security. The most recent version of
the ThreatSense scanning engine, combined with our custom Personal firewall and Antispam modules, utilizes
speed and precision to keep your computer safe. The result is an intelligent system that is constantly on alert for
attacks and malicious software that might endanger your computer.
ESET Smart Security is a complete security solution that combines maximum protection and a minimal system
footprint. Our advanced technologies use artificial intelligence to prevent infiltration by viruses, spyware, trojan
horses, worms, adware, rootkits, and other threats without hindering system performance or disrupting your
computer.
ESET Anti-Theft ESET Anti-Theft expands user-level security in the case of a lost or stolen
computer. Once users install ESET Smart Security and ESET Anti-Theft, their
device will be listed in the web interface. The web interface allows users to
manage their ESET Anti-Theft configuration and perform actions such as
switching computers to the missing state.
A license needs to be active in order for features of ESET Smart Security to be operational. It is recommended that
you renew your license several weeks before the license for ESET Smart Security expires.
5
1.1 What's new in version 8
ESET Smart Security version 8 features many small improvements:
A new Smart mode for HIPS is placed between Automatic and Interactive mode. Ability to identify suspicious
activities and malicious processes in the system.
A new Botnet protection helps discover malware through analyzing its network communication patterns and
protocols.
Enhanced Exploit blocker Designed to fortify commonly exploited application types such as web browsers, PDF
readers, email clients and MS Office components. Exploit blocker now supports Java and helps improve detection
and protection from these kind of vulnerabilities.
Device control A replacement of Removable media control used in version 5 and 6. This module allows you to
scan, block or adjust extended filters/permissions and define a users ability to access and work with a given
device.
Vulnerability shield An extension of firewall that improves detection of known vulnerabilities on the network
level.
Advanced memory scanner Works in combination with Exploit Blocker to strengthen protection against malware
that has been designed to evade detection by antimalware products through the use of obfuscation and/or
encryption.
Firewall improvements In the new version of ESET Smart Security, you can adjust and manage IDS exceptions
and the temporary IP address blacklist. The IDS detection notification system is now more user-friendly and
informative.
Anti-phishing improvements ESET Smart Security now blocks scam sites as well as phishing sites. Improved
submission of suspicious sites and false positive sites by users.
Specialized cleaner A bundle of the top 3-5 most prevalent critical malware threats.
Faster and more reliable installation Including an initial scan which runs automatically 20 minutes after
installation or reboot.
Mail plugin compatibility Our plugin now integrates with Office 2013 and Windows Live Mail.
Improved compatibility in Windows 8/8.1 ESET SysRescue is now fully functional on Windows 8. Toast
notifications are now shown in the Windows 8 environment, notifying you of HIPS detections or file detections
that require user interaction or downloads of potentially unwanted applications.
6
1.3 Prevention
When you work with your computer, and especially when you browse the Internet, please keep in mind that no
antivirus system in the world can completely eliminate the risk of infiltrations and attacks. To provide maximum
protection and convenience, it is essential that you use your antivirus solution correctly and adhere to several
useful rules:
Update regularly
According to statistics from ESET Live Grid, thousands of new, unique infiltrations are created each day in order to
bypass existing security measures and bring profit to their authors all at the expense of other users. The specialists
at the ESET Virus Lab analyze these threats on a daily basis and prepare and release updates in order to continually
improve the level of protection for our users. To ensure the maximum effectiveness of these updates it is important
that updates are configured properly on your system. For more information on how to configure updates, see the
Update setup chapter.
7
2. Installation
There are several methods for installing ESET Smart Security on your computer. Installation methods may vary
depending on country and means of distribution:
Live installer can be downloaded from the ESET website. The installation package is universal for all languages
(choose a desired language). Live installer itself is a small file; additional files required to install ESET Smart
Security will be downloaded automatically.
Offline installation This type of installation is used when installing from a product CD/DVD. It uses an .msi file
that is larger than the Live installer file and does not require an internet connection or additional files for the
completion of installation.
Important: Make sure that no other antivirus programs are installed on your computer before you install ESET Smart
Security. If two or more antivirus solutions are installed on a single computer, they may conflict with each other. We
recommend that you uninstall any other antivirus programs on your system. See our ESET Knowledgebase article for
a list of uninstaller tools for common antivirus software (available in English and several other languages).
Select your desired language from the Select product language drop-down menu and click Install. Allow a few
moments for installation files to download.
After you accept the End-User License Agreement, you will be prompted to configure ESET Live Grid. ESET Live Grid
helps ensure that ESET is immediately and continuously informed about new threats in order to protect our
customers. The system allows you to submit new threats to the ESET Virus Lab where they are analyzed, processed
and added to the virus signature database.
By default, Yes, I want to participate is selected, which will activate this feature.
The next step in the installation process is to configure detection of potentially unwanted applications. Potentially
unwanted applications are not necessarily malicious, but can negatively affect the behavior of your operating
system. See the Potentially unwanted applications chapter for more details.
Click Next to start the installation process.
8
2.2 Offline installation
Once you launch the offline installation (.msi) package, the installation wizard will guide you through the setup
process.
First, the program checks to see if a newer version of ESET Smart Security is available. If a newer version is found
you will be notified in the first step of the installation process. If you select Download and install new version, the
new version will be downloaded and installation will continue. This check box is visible only when there is a version
newer than the version you are installing available.
Next, the End-User License Agreement will be displayed. Please read the agreement and click Accept to
acknowledge your acceptance of the End-User License Agreement. After you accept, installation will continue.
For more instructions about installation steps, ESET Live Grid and Detection of potentially unwanted applications,
follow the instructions in the aforementioned section (see Live installer).
Installation mode provides configuration options appropriate for most users. These settings provide excellent
security, easy setup and high system performance. Advanced settings are designed for users who have experience
with fine-tuning programs and who wish to modify advanced settings during installation. Click Install to start the
installation process and to bypass Advanced settings.
9
2.2.1 Advanced settings
After selecting Advanced settings, you will be prompted to select a location for the installation. By default, the
program installs to the following directory:
C:\Program Files\ESET\ESET Smart Security\
Click Browse to change this location (not recommended).
Click Next to configure your Internet connection. If you use a proxy server, it must be correctly configured for virus
signature updates to work. If you are not sure whether you use a proxy server to connect to the Internet, select Use
the same settings as Internet Explorer (Recommended) and click Next. If you do not use a proxy server, select I do
not use a proxy server.
To configure your proxy server settings, select I use a proxy server and click Next. Enter the IP address or URL of your
proxy server in the Address field. In the Port field, specify the port where the proxy server accepts connections
(3128 by default). In the event that the proxy server requires authentication, enter a valid Username and Password
to grant access to the proxy server. Proxy server settings can also be copied from Internet Explorer if desired. To do
this, click Apply and confirm the selection.
Custom installation allows you to define how automatic program updates will be handled on your system. Click
Change... to access Advanced settings.
If you do not want program components to be updated, select Never update program components. Select Ask
before downloading program components to display a confirmation window each time the system attempts to
download program components. To download program component upgrades automatically, select Always update
program components.
NOTE: After a program component update, a restart is usually required. We recommend selecting If necessary,
restart computer without notifying.
The next installation window offers the option to set a password to protect your program settings. Select Protect
configuration settings with a password and enter your password into the the New password and Confirm new
password fields. This password will be required to change or access the settings of ESET Smart Security. When both
password fields match, click Next to continue.
To complete the next installation steps, ESET Live Grid and Detection of potentially unwanted applications, follow
the instructions in the Live installer section (see Live installer).
Next, select a filtering mode for the ESET Personal firewall. Four filtering modes are available for the ESET Smart
Security Personal firewall. The behavior of the firewall changes based on the selected mode. Filtering modes also
influences the level of user interaction required.
To disable the first scan after installation that is normally performed when installation finishes to check for
malicious code, deselect the check box next to Enable scan after installation. Click Install in the Ready to install
window to complete installation.
10
If you would like to evaluate ESET Smart Security before making a purchase, select Activate Trial License. Fill in your
email address and country to activate ESET Smart Security for a limited time. Your test license will be emailed to
you. Trial licenses can only be activated once per customer.
If you do not have a license and would like to buy one, click Purchase License. This will redirect you to the website
of your local ESET distributor.
Select Activate Later if you would like to quickly evaluate our product and do not wish to activate it immediately, or
if you would like to activate your product at a later time.
You can also activate your copy of ESET Smart Security directly from the program. Click the Program menu icon
located in the top right corner or right-click on the ESET Smart Security icon in the system tray and select Activate
your product... from the menu.
11
2.6 First scan after installation
After installing ESET Smart Security, a computer scan will start 20 minutes after installation or computer restart in
order to check for malicious code.
You can also start a computer scan manually from the main program window by clicking Computer scan > Smart scan.
For more information about computer scans, see the section Computer scan.
12
3. Beginner's guide
This chapter provides an initial overview of ESET Smart Security and its basic settings.
The Home screen informs you about the security and current protection level of your computer. The status window
also displays Frequently used features in ESET Smart Security. Information about the programs expiration date can
also be found here under Basic overview.
The green icon and green Maximum protection status indicates that maximum protection is ensured.
13
What to do if the program doesn't work properly?
If the modules enabled are working properly, the Protection status icon will be green. A red exclamation point or
orange notification indicates that maximum protection is not ensured. Additional information about the protection
status of each module, as well as suggested solutions for restoring full protection, will be displayed under Home. To
change the status of individual modules, click Setup and select the desired module.
The red icon and red Maximum protection is not ensured status signals critical problems.
There are several reasons this status may be displayed, for example:
Product not activated You can activate ESET Smart Security from Home by clicking either Activate
product or Buy now under protection status.
Virus signature database is out of date This error will appear after several unsuccessful attempts to
update the virus signature database. We recommend that you check the update settings. The most
common reason for this error is incorrectly entered authentication data or incorrectly configured
connection settings.
Antivirus and antispyware protection disabled You can re-enable antivirus and antispyware protection
by clicking on Start all antivirus and antispyware protection modules.
ESET Personal firewall disabled This problem is signaled also by a security notification next to the
Network item on your desktop. You can re-enable network protection by clicking on Enable firewall.
License expired This is indicated by the Protection status icon turning red. The program is not able to
update after the license expires. We recommend following the instructions in the alert window to renew
your license.
The orange icon indicates that protection of your computer is limited. For example, there is a problem
updating the program or your license is nearing its expiration date.
There are several possible reasons this status may be displayed, for example:
Anti-Theft optimization warning This device is not optimized for ESET Anti-Theft. For example, a
14
Phantom account does not exist initially, but is a security feature that is triggered automatically when you
mark a device as missing. You may need to create a Phantom account using the Optimization feature in the
ESET Anti-Theft web interface.
Gamer mode enabled Enabling Gamer mode is a potential security risk. By enabling this feature, all pop-
up windows are disabled and the activity of the scheduler will be completely stopped.
Your license will expire soon This is indicated by the protection status icon displaying an exclamation
point next to the system clock. After your license expires, the program will not be able to update and the
Protection status icon will turn red.
If you are unable to solve a problem using the suggested solutions, click Help and support to access the help files or
search the ESET Knowledgebase. If you still need assistance, you can submit a support request. ESET Customer Care
will respond quickly to your questions and help find a resolution.
3.2 Updates
Updating the virus signature database and updating program components is an important part of protecting your
system against malicious code. Pay careful attention to their configuration and operation. In the main menu, click
Update and then click Update now to check for a virus signature database update.
If the Username and Password were not entered during the activation of ESET Smart Security you will be prompted
for them at this point.
15
The Advanced setup window (click Setup in the main menu and then click Enter advanced setup..., or press F5 on
your keyboard) contains additional update options. Click Update > Settings in the Advanced setup tree to the left.
To configure advanced update options such as update mode, proxy server access and LAN connections, click Setup...
in the Update window.
Warning: An incorrect trusted zone configuration may pose a security risk to your computer.
16
NOTE: By default, workstations from a Trusted zone are granted access to shared files and printers, have incoming
RPC communication enabled and have remote desktop sharing available.
For more details about this feature please read the following ESET Knowledgebase article:
New network connection detected in ESET Smart Security
3.4 Anti-Theft
To protect your computer in case of a loss or theft, choose from the following options to register your computer
with the ESET Anti-Theft system.
1. After a successful activation click Enable Anti-Theft to activate ESET Anti-Theft features for the computer you just
registered.
2. If you see the ESET Anti-Theft is available message in the Home pane of ESET Smart Security, consider activating
this feature for your computer. Click Enable ESET Anti-Theft to associate your computer with ESET Anti-Theft.
3. From the main program window click Setup, and then click ESET Anti-Theft and follow the instructions in the pop-
up window.
Note: ESET Anti-Theft does not run on Microsoft Windows Home Servers.
For more instructions about ESET Anti-Theft computer association and to learn how it works see How to add a new
device.
17
4. Work with ESET Smart Security
The ESET Smart Security setup options allow you to adjust the protection levels of your computer and network.
Click any component to adjust the advanced settings of the corresponding protection module.
Computer protection setup allows you to enable or disable the following components:
Real-time file system protection All files are scanned for malicious code when they are opened, created or run
on your computer.
HIPS The HIPS system monitors the events within the operating system and reacts to them according to a
customized set of rules.
Anti-Theft You can also enable or disable ESET Anti-Theft from here.
Gamer mode Enables or disables Gamer mode. You will receive a warning message (potential security risk) and
the main window will turn orange after enabling Gamer mode.
Anti-Stealth protection Detects dangerous programs, such as rootkits, which hide themselves from the
operating system and ordinary testing techniques.
The Network section allows you to enable or disable the Personal firewall, Network attack protection (IDS) and
Botnet protection.
Parental control lets you block webpages that may contain potentially offensive material. In addition, parents can
prohibit access to more than 40 pre-defined website categories and over 140 subcategories.
18
Web and Email protection setup allows you to enable or disable the following components:
Web access protection If enabled, all traffic through HTTP or HTTPS is scanned for malicious software.
Email client protection Monitors communication received through POP3 and IMAP protocol.
Anti-Phishing protection Filters websites suspected of distributing content intended to manipulate users into
submitting confidential information.
Antispam protection Scans unsolicited email, i.e., spam.
To re-enable the protection of the disabled security component, click Disabled and then Enable.
NOTE: When disabling protection using this method, all disabled parts of protection will be enabled after a
computer restart.
There are additional options at the bottom of the setup window. Use the Product activation... link to open a
registration form that will activate your ESET security product and send you an email with your authentication data
(username and password). To load setup parameters using an .xml configuration file, or to save the current setup
parameters to a configuration file, use the Import and export settings... option.
4.1 Computer
The Computer module can be found in the Setup pane after clicking on the Computer title. It shows an overview of
all protection modules. To turn off individual modules temporarily, click Enabled > Disable for... next to the desired
module. Note that this may decrease the protection level of your computer. To access detailed settings for each
module, click Configure....
Click Edit exclusions... to open the Exclusion setup window, which allows you to exclude files and folders from
scanning.
Temporarily disable Antivirus and antispyware protection Disables all antivirus and antispyware protection
modules. When you disable protection, the Temporary disable protection window will open, allowing you to
determine how long protection is disabled by selecting a value from the Time interval drop-down menu.. Click OK
to confirm.
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Computer scan setup... Click to adjust the parameters of the on-demand scanner (manually executed scan).
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Media to scan
By default, all types of media are scanned for potential threats:
Local drives Controls all system hard drives.
Device control Disk Storage, CD/DVDs, etc.
Network drives Scans all mapped drives.
We recommend that you keep the default settings and only modify them in specific cases, such as when scanning
certain media significantly slows data transfers.
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Additional ThreatSense parameters for executed files
Advanced heuristics on file execution By default, Advanced heuristics is used when files are executed. When
enabled, we strongly recommend keeping Smart optimization and ESET Live Grid enabled to mitigate impact on
system performance.
Advanced heuristics on executing files from removable media If you wish to exclude some removable media
(USB) ports from being scanned by advanced heuristics on file execution, click Exceptions... to open the
removable media drive exclusions window. In this window, you can customize the settings by selecting or
deselecting the check boxes that represent each port.
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4.1.1.1.3 When to modify real-time protection configuration
Real-time protection is the most essential component of maintaining a secure system. Always be careful when
modifying its parameters. We recommend that you only modify its parameters in specific cases.
After installing ESET Smart Security, all settings are optimized to provide the maximum level of system security for
users. To restore the default settings, click Default at the bottom-right of the Real-time file system protection
window (Advanced setup > Computer > Antivirus and antispyware > Real-time file system protection).
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Smart scan
Smart scan allows you to quickly launch a computer scan and clean infected files with no need for user intervention.
The advantage of Smart scan is it is easy to operate and does not require detailed scanning configuration. Smart scan
checks all files on local drives and automatically cleans or deletes detected infiltrations. The cleaning level is
automatically set to the default value. For more detailed information on types of cleaning, see Cleaning.
Custom scan
Custom scan lets you specify scanning parameters such as scan targets and scanning methods. The advantage of
Custom scan is the ability to configure the parameters in detail. Configurations can be saved to user-defined scan
profiles, which can be useful if scanning is repeatedly performed with the same parameters.
See Scan progress for more information about the scanning process.
We recommend that you run a computer scan at least once a month. Scanning can be configured as a scheduled task
from Tools > Scheduler. How to schedule a weekly computer scan?
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Infected items are not cleaned automatically. Scanning without cleaning can be used to obtain an overview of the
current protection status. If you are only interested in scanning the system without additional cleaning actions,
select Scan without cleaning. Furthermore, you can choose from three cleaning levels by clicking Setup... > Cleaning.
Information about scanning is saved to a scan log.
You can choose a profile from the Scan profile drop-down menu to be used for scanning chosen targets. The default
profile is Smart scan. There are two more pre-defined scan profiles called In-depth scan and Context menu scan.
These scan profiles use different ThreatSense engine parameters. Click Setup... to set up chosen scan profile from
the Scan profile menu in detail. The available options are described in Scanner setup.
Click Save to save changes made to your target selection, including selections made within the folder tree structure.
Click Scan to execute the scan using the custom parameters that you have set.
Scan as Administrator allows you to execute the scan under the Administrator account. Click this if the current user
doesn't have privileges to access the appropriate files to be scanned. Note that this button is not available if the
current user cannot call UAC operations as Administrator.
Tips:
Click the magnifier or arrow to show details about the scan that is currently running.
You can run another parallel scan by clicking Smart scan or Custom scan....
Objects Shows the total number of scanned files, threats found and threats cleaned during a scan.
Target The name of the currently scanned object and its location.
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After all scans computer takes no action Triggers a scheduled shutdown or reboot when the computer scan
finishes. Once the scan has finished, a shutdown confirmation dialog window will open with a 60 second timeout.
Click this option again to deactivate the selected action.
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4.1.1.3.1 Automatic startup file check
When creating a System startup file check scheduled task, you have several options to adjust the following
parameters:
The Scan level drop-down menu specifies the scan depth for files run at system startup. Files are arranged in
ascending order according to the following criteria:
Only the most frequently used files (least files scanned)
Frequently used files
Commonly used files
Rarely used files
All registered files (most files scanned)
Two specific Scan level groups are also included:
Files run before user logon Contains files from locations that may be accessed without the user being logged in
(includes almost all startup locations such as services, browser helper objects, winlogon notify, Windows
scheduler entries, known dll's, etc.).
Files run after user logon Contains files from locations that may only be accessed after a user has logged in
(includes files that are only run by a specific user, typically files in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft
\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run).
Lists of files to be scanned are fixed for each aforementioned group.
Scan priority The level of priority used to determine when a scan will start:
Normal at an average system load
Lower at a low system load
Lowest when the system load is the lowest possible
When idle the task will be performed only when the system is idle
4.1.1.5 Exclusions
Exclusions enable you to exclude files and folders from scanning. To ensure that all objects are scanned for threats,
we recommend only creating exclusions when it is absolutely necessary. However, there are situations where you
may need to exclude an object, for example large database entries that would slow your computer during a scan or
software that conflicts with the scan.
To exclude an object from scanning:
1. Click Add...,
2. Enter the path to an object or select it in the tree structure.
You can use wildcards to cover a group of files. A question mark (?) represents a single variable character whereas
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an asterisk (*) represents a variable string of zero or more characters.
Examples
If you wish to exclude all files in a folder, type the path to the folder and use the mask *.*.
To exclude an entire drive including all files and subfolders, use the mask "D:\*".
If you want to exclude doc files only, use the mask *.doc.
If the name of an executable file has a certain number of characters (and characters vary) and you only know the
first one for sure (say D), use the following format: D????.exe. Question marks replace the missing (unknown)
characters.
Note: A threat within a file will not be detected by the Real-time file system protection module or Computer scan
module if a file meets the criteria for exclusion from scanning.
Path Path to excluded files and folders.
Threat If there is a name of a threat next to an excluded file, it means that the file is only excluded for the given
threat, not completely. If that file becomes infected later with other malware, it will be detected by the antivirus
module. This type of exclusion can only be used for certain types of infiltrations and it can be created either in the
threat alert window reporting the infiltration (click Show advanced options and then select Exclude from detection),
or by clicking Setup > Quarantine and then right-clicking the quarantined file and selecting Restore and exclude
from detection from the context menu.
Add... Excludes objects from detection
Edit... Enables you to edit selected entries
Remove Removes selected entries
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4.1.1.6 ThreatSense engine parameters setup
ThreatSense is technology comprised of many complex threat detection methods. This technology is proactive,
which means it also provides protection during the early spread of a new threat. It uses a combination of code
analysis, code emulation, generic signatures and virus signatures which work in concert to significantly enhance
system security. The scanning engine is capable of controlling several data streams simultaneously, maximizing the
efficiency and detection rate. ThreatSense technology also successfully eliminates rootkits.
ThreatSense engine setup options allow you to specify several scan parameters:
File types and extensions that are to be scanned,
The combination of various detection methods,
Levels of cleaning, etc.
To enter the setup window, click Setup... in the Advanced setup window for any module that uses ThreatSense
technology (see below). Different security scenarios may require different configurations. With this in mind,
ThreatSense is individually configurable for the following protection modules:
Real-time file system protection,
Document protection,
Email client protection,
Web access protection,
Computer scan.
ThreatSense parameters are highly optimized for each module, and their modification can significantly influence
system operation. For example, changing parameters to always scan runtime packers, or enabling advanced
heuristics in the Real-time file system protection module could result in a system slow-down (normally, only newly-
created files are scanned using these methods). We recommend that you leave the default ThreatSense parameters
unchanged for all modules except Computer scan.
4.1.1.6.1 Objects
The Objects section allows you to define which computer components and files will be scanned for infiltrations.
Operating memory Scans for threats that attack the operating memory of the system.
Boot sectors Scans boot sectors for the presence of viruses in the master boot record.
Email files The program supports the following extensions: DBX (Outlook Express) and EML.
Archives The program supports the following extensions: ARJ, BZ2, CAB, CHM, DBX, GZIP, ISO/BIN/NRG, LHA,
MIME, NSIS, RAR, SIS, TAR, TNEF, UUE, WISE, ZIP, ACE, and many others.
Self-extracting archives Self-extracting archives (SFX) are archives needing no specialized programs archives to
decompress themselves.
Runtime packers After executing, runtime packers (unlike standard archive types) decompress in memory. In
addition to standard static packers (UPX, yoda, ASPack, FSG, etc.), the scanner supports (thanks to code emulation)
many more types of packers.
4.1.1.6.2 Options
Use the Options section to select the methods used when scanning the system for infiltrations. The following
options are available:
Heuristics A heuristic is an algorithm analyzing the (malicious) activity of programs. The main advantage is the
ability to identify malicious software which did not exist, or was not identified by previous virus signatures
databases. The disadvantage is the small probability of false alarms.
Advanced heuristics/DNA/Smart signatures Advanced Heuristics is one of the technologies used by ESET Smart
Security to provide proactive threat detection. It provides the ability to detect unknown malware based on its
functionality through emulation. This new binary translator helps bypass anti-emulation tricks used by malware
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writers. Its latest version introduces a completely new way of code emulation based on binary translation. This new
binary translator helps to bypass anti-emulation tricks used by malware writers. In addition to these improvements,
DNA-based scanning has been significantly updated to allow for better generic detections and address current
malware more accurately.
ESET Live Grid Using ESET reputation technology, information about scanned files is verified against data from the
cloud-based ESET Live Grid to improve detection and scanning speed.
4.1.1.6.3 Cleaning
The cleaning settings determine the behavior of the scanner while cleaning infected files. There are 3 levels of
cleaning.
4.1.1.6.4 Extensions
An extension is a part of a file name delimited by a period. An extension defines the type and content of a file. This
section of the ThreatSense parameter setup lets you define the types of files to scan.
By default, all files are scanned regardless of their extension. Any extension can be added to the list of files
excluded from scanning. If Scan all files is deselected, the list changes to show all currently scanned file extensions.
To enable the scanning of files without an extension, select Scan extensionless files. Do not scan extensionless
files becomes available when Scan all files is enabled.
Excluding files is sometimes necessary if scanning certain file types prevents the program that is using certain
extensions from running properly. For example, it may be advisable to exclude the .edb, .eml and .tmp extensions
when using Microsoft Exchange servers.
Using the Add and Remove buttons, you can allow or prohibit scanning of specific file extensions. Typing an
Extension activates the Add button, which adds the new extension to the list. Select an extension in the list and
then click Remove to delete that extension from the list.
The special symbols * (asterisk) and ? (question mark) can be used. The asterisk substitutes any character string, and
the question mark substitutes any symbol. Particular care should be taken when specifying excluded addresses,
because the list should only contain trusted and safe addresses. Similarly, it is necessary to ensure that the symbols
* and ? are used correctly in this list.
To scan the default set of extensions only, click Default and click Yes when prompted to confirm.
4.1.1.6.5 Limits
The Limits section allows you to specify the maximum size of objects and levels of nested archives to be scanned:
Maximum object size Defines the maximum size of objects to be scanned. The given antivirus module will then
scan only objects smaller than the size specified. This option should only be changed by advanced users who may
have specific reasons for excluding larger objects from scanning. Default value: unlimited.
Maximum scan time for object (sec.) Defines the maximum time value for scanning of an object. If a user-defined
value has been entered here, the antivirus module will stop scanning an object when that time has elapsed,
regardless of whether the scan has finished. Default value: unlimited.
Archive nesting level Specifies the maximum depth of archive scanning. Default value: 10.
Maximum size of file in archive This option allows you to specify the maximum file size for files contained in
archives (when they are extracted) that are to be scanned. Default value: unlimited.
If scanning of an archive is prematurely terminated for these reasons, the archive check box will remain deselected.
Note: We do not recommend changing the default values; under normal circumstances, there should be no reason
to modify them.
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4.1.1.6.6 Other
You can configure the following options in the Other section:
Log all objects If this option is selected, the log file will show all the scanned files, even those not infected. For
example, if an infiltration is found within an archive, the log will list also clean files contained within the archive.
Enable Smart optimization With Smart Optimization enabled, the most optimal settings are used to ensure the
most efficient scanning level, while simultaneously maintaining the highest scanning speeds. The various
protection modules scan intelligently, making use of different scanning methods and applying them to specific file
types. If the Smart Optimization is disabled, only the user-defined settings in the ThreatSense core of the particular
modules are applied when performing a scan.
When configuring ThreatSense engine parameters setup for a Computer scan, the following options are also
available:
Scan alternate data streams (ADS) Alternate data streams used by the NTFS file system are file and folder
associations which are invisible to ordinary scanning techniques. Many infiltrations try to avoid detection by
disguising themselves as alternate data streams.
Run background scans with low priority Each scanning sequence consumes a certain amount of system resources. If
you work with programs that place a high load on system resources, you can activate low priority background
scanning and save resources for your applications.
Preserve last access timestamp Select this option to keep the original access time of scanned files instead of
updating them (for example, for use with data backup systems).
Scroll scan log This option allows you to enable/disable log scrolling. If selected, information scrolls upwards
within the display window.
Standard behavior
As a general example of how infiltrations are handled by ESET Smart Security, infiltrations can be detected using:
Real-time file system protection
Web access protection
Email client protection
On-demand computer scan
Each uses the standard cleaning level and will attempt to clean the file and move it to Quarantine or terminate the
connection. A notification window is displayed in the notification area at the bottom right corner of the screen. For
more information about cleaning levels and behavior, see Cleaning.
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Cleaning and deleting
If there is no predefined action to take for Real-time file system protection, you will be prompted to select an
option in the alert window. Usually the options Clean, Delete and No action are available. Selecting No action is not
recommended, as this will leave infected files uncleaned. The exception to this is when you are sure that a file is
harmless and has been detected by mistake.
Apply cleaning if a file has been attacked by a virus that has attached malicious code to the file. If this is the case,
first attempt to clean the infected file in order to restore it to its original state. If the file consists exclusively of
malicious code, it will be deleted.
If an infected file is locked or in use by a system process, it will usually only be deleted after it is released
(normally after a system restart).
Multiple threats
If any infected files were not cleaned during Computer scan (or the Cleaning level was set to No Cleaning), an alert
window prompting you to select actions for those files is displayed. Select actions for the files (actions are set
individually for each file in the list) and then click Finish.
If your computer is showing signs of a malware infection, e.g., it is slower, often freezes, etc., we recommend that
you do the following:
Open ESET Smart Security and click Computer scan
Click Smart scan (for more information, see Computer scan)
After the scan has finished, review the log for the number of scanned, infected and cleaned files
If you only want to scan a certain part of your disk, click Custom scan and select targets to be scanned for viruses.
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4.1.1.8 Document protection
The Document protection feature scans Microsoft Office documents before they are opened, as well as files
downloaded automatically by Internet Explorer such as Microsoft ActiveX elements. Document protection provides
a layer of protection in addition to Real-time file system protection, and can be disabled to enhance performance
on systems that are not exposed to a high volume of Microsoft Office documents.
Integrate into system activates the protection system. To modify this option, press F5 to open the Advanced setup
window and click Computer > Antivirus and antispyware > Document protection in the Advanced setup tree.
This feature is activated by applications that use Microsoft Antivirus API (e.g., Microsoft Office 2000 and higher, or
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and higher).
Device control setup options can be modified in Advanced setup (F5) > Computer > Device control.
Selecting the check box next to Integrate into system activates the Device control feature in ESET Smart Security;
you will need to restart your computer for this change to take effect. Once Device control is enabled, Configure
rules... will become active, allowing you to open the Device control rules editor window.
If the inserted external device applies an existing rule that performs the Block action, a notification window will
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pop-up in the lower right corner and access to the device will not be granted.
Particular devices can be allowed or blocked per user or user group and based on additional device parameters that
can be specified in the rule configuration. The list of rules contains several descriptions of a rule such as name, type
of external device, action to perform after connecting an external device to your computer and log severity.
Click Add or Edit to manage a rule. Click Copy to create a new rule with predefined options used for another
selected rule. XML strings displayed when clicking a rule can be copied to the clipboard to help system
administrators to export/import these data and use them, for example in ESET Remote Administrator.
By pressing CTRL and clicking, you can select multiple rules and apply actions, such as deleting or moving them up or
down the list, to all selected rules. The Enabled check box disables or enables a rule; this can be useful if you don't
wish to delete a rule permanently in case you wish to use it in the future.
The control is accomplished by rules that are sorted in the order determining their priority, with higher priority rules
on top.
You can right-click a rule to display the context menu. Here you can set the log entries verbosity (severity) of a rule.
Log entries can be viewed from the main window of ESET Smart Security in Tools > Log files.
Click Populate to auto-populate removable media device parameters for devices connected to your computer.
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4.1.3.2 Adding Device control rules
A Device control rule defines the action that will be taken when a device meeting the rule criteria is connected to
the computer.
Enter a description of the rule into the Name field for better identification. Selecting the check box next to Enabled
disables or enables this rule; this can be useful if you don't wish to delete the rule permanently.
Device type
Choose the external device type from the drop-down menu (Disk Storage / CD/DVD...). The types of devices are
inherited from the operating system and can be seen in the system Device manager providing a device is connected
to the computer. The CD/DVD device type in the drop-down menu refers to the storage of data on an optically
readable medium (e.g. CDs, DVDs). Storage devices cover external disks or conventional memory card readers
connected via USB or FireWire. Smart card readers encompass readers of smart cards with an embedded integrated
circuit, such as SIM cards or authentication cards. Examples of imaging devices are scanners or cameras, these
devices do not provide information about users, only about their actions. This means that imaging devices can only
be blocked globally.
Rights
Access to non-storage devices can be either allowed or blocked. By contrast, rules for storage devices allow for
selecting one of the following rights:
Block Access to the device will be blocked.
Read Only Only reading access to the device will be allowed.
Read/Write Full access to the device will be allowed.
Other parameters that can be used to fine-tune rules and tailor them to devices. All parameters are case-
insensitive:
Vendor Filtering by vendor name or ID.
Model The given name of the device.
Serial number External devices usually have their own serial numbers. In the case of a CD/DVD, this is the serial
number of the given media, not the CD drive.
Note: If the above three descriptors are empty, the rule will ignore these fields while matching. Filtering
parameters in all text fields are case-sensitive and no wildcards (*, ?) are supported. They must be written exactly
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as delivered by the vendor.
Tip: In order to figure out the parameters of a device, create an allowing rule for the appropriate type of devices,
connect the device to your computer and then check the device details in the Device control log.
Rules can be limited to certain users or user groups by adding them to the User list:
Add Opens the Object type: Users or Groups dialog window that allows you to select desired users.
Delete Removes the selected user from the filter.
Note that not all devices can be limited by user rules, (for example imaging devices do not provide information
about users, only about invoked actions.)
4.1.4 HIPS
Host-based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) protects your system from malware and unwanted activity
attempting to negatively affect your computer. HIPS utilizes advanced behavioral analysis coupled with the
detection capabilities of network filtering to monitor running processes, files and registry keys. HIPS is separate
from Real-time file system protection and is not a firewall; it monitors only processes running within the operating
system.
HIPS settings are located in Advanced setup (F5). To access HIPS in the Advanced setup tree, click Computer > HIPS.
The HIPS state (enabled/disabled) is displayed in the ESET Smart Security main window, in the Setup pane on the
right side of the Computer section.
Warning: Changes to HIPS settings should only be made by an experienced user.
ESET Smart Security has built-in Self-defense technology that prevents malicious software from corrupting or
disabling your antivirus and antispyware protection. Self-defense protects files and registry keys considered crucial
to the function of ESET Smart Security and ensures that potentially malicious software has no privileges to make any
modifications to these locations.
Changes to the Enable HIPS and Enable Self-defense settings will take effect after Windows is restarted. Disabling
the HIPS system also requires a computer restart to take effect.
Exploit Blocker is designed to fortify commonly exploited application types such as web browsers, PDF readers,
email clients and MS Office components. Read more about this type of protection in the glossary.
Advanced memory scanner works in combination with Exploit Blocker to strengthen protection against malware that
has been designed to evade detection by antimalware products through the use of obfuscation and/or encryption.
Read more about this type of protection in the glossary.
HIPS Filtering can be performed in one of four modes:
Automatic mode with rules Operations are enabled and a set of pre-defined rules are used protect your system.
Smart mode User will be notified only about very suspicious events.
Interactive mode User will be prompted to confirm operations.
Policy-based mode Operations not defined by a rule can be blocked.
Learning mode Operations are enabled and a rule is created after each operation. Rules created in this mode can
be viewed in the Rule editor, but their priority is lower than the priority of rules created manually or rules created
in automatic mode. After selecting Learning mode, the Notify about learning mode expiration in X days option
becomes active. After the time period defined in the Notify about learning mode expiration in X days is over,
learning mode is disabled again. The maximum time period is 14 days. After this time period is over, a pop-up
window will open in which you can edit the rules and select a different filtering mode.
The HIPS system monitors events inside the operating system and reacts accordingly based on rules similar to the
rules used by the personal firewall in ESET Smart Security. Click Configure rules... to open the HIPS rule
management window. Here you can select, create, edit or delete rules.
In the following example, we will demonstrate how to restrict unwanted behavior of applications:
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1. Name the rule and select Block from the Action drop-down menu.
2. Open the Target applications tab. Leave the Source applications tab blank to apply your new rule to all
applications attempting to perform any of the selected operations in the Operations list on applications in the
Over these applications list.
3. Select Modify state of another application (all operations are described in product help, which can be accessed by
pressing F1).
4. Add one or several applications you wish to protect.
5. Select the Notify user check box to display a notification any time that a rule is applied.
6. Click OK to save the new rule.
If you select Ask as the default action, ESET Smart Security will display a dialog window every time an operation is
run. You can choose to Deny or Allow the operation. If you do not choose an action, an action will be selected based
on the pre-defined rules.
The Allow access to another application dialog window allows you to create a rule based on any new action that
HIPS detects and then define the conditions under which to allow or deny that action. Click Show advanced options
to define the exact parameters for your new rule. Rules created this way are considered equal to rules created
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manually, so a rule created from a dialog window can be less specific than the rule that triggered that dialog
window. This means that after creating such a rule, the same operation can trigger another dialog window if the
parameters that your previous rule set do not apply to the situation.
Temporarily remember this action for this process causes an action (Allow / Deny) to be used until a change of rules
or filtering modes, a HIPS module update or a system restart. After any of these actions, temporary rules will be
deleted.
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4.2 Network
The Personal firewall controls all network traffic to and from the system. This is accomplished by allowing or
denying individual network connections based on specified filtering rules. It provides protection against attacks
from remote computers and enables blocking of some services. It also provides antivirus protection for HTTP, POP3
and IMAP protocols. This functionality represents a very important element of computer security.
Personal firewall configuration can be found in the Setup pane under Network. Here, you can adjust the filtering
mode, rules and detailed settings. You can also access more detailed settings of the program.
Personal firewall
Block all network traffic: disconnect network. All inbound and outbound communication will be blocked by the
Personal firewall. Use this option only if you suspect critical security risks that require the system to be
disconnected from the network.
Disable filtering: allow all traffic is the opposite of blocking all network traffic. If selected, all Personal firewall
filtering options are turned off and all incoming and outgoing connections are permitted. This has the same effect as
no firewall being present. While Network traffic filtering is in Blocking mode, clicking Switch to filtering mode will
re-enable the firewall.
Automatic filtering mode (when Automatic filtering mode is enabled) To change the filtering mode, click Switch to
interactive filtering mode.
Interactive filtering mode (when Interactive filtering mode is enabled) To change the filtering mode, click Switch
to automatic filtering mode (with user-defined rules).
Configure rules and zones... Opens the Zone and rule setup window, which allows you to define how the firewall
will handle network communication.
Change the protection mode of your computer in the network... This setting defines how accessible your
computer is to other computers on the network select between strict or allowed protection mode.
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Network attack protection (IDS) Analyses the content of network traffic and protects from network attacks. Any
traffic which is considered harmful will be blocked.
View temporary IP address blacklist... View a list of IP addresses that have been detected as the source of attacks
and added to the blacklist to block connection for a certain period of time. For more information, click this option
and then press F1.
Botnet protection Quickly and accurately spots malware on the system.
Advanced Personal firewall setup... Allows you to access the advanced firewall setup options.
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Firewall user profiles
Profiles are a tool to control the behavior of the ESET Smart Security Personal firewall.
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Notify about learning mode expiration in X days Specifies the number of days after which ESET Smart Security will
notify the user that Learning mode is still active. This option is intended to prevent the user from operating the
Personal firewall in Learning mode for an extended period of time. We recommend switching the Personal firewall
to Learning mode only for a short time, while the user initiates typical connections. Network communications which
are saved during the Learning mode period can be used as the foundation for a permanent set of rules.
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Display information about application allows you to define how applications will be displayed in the list of rules.
The following options are available:
Full path Full path to the applications executable.
Description Description of the application.
Name Name of the application's executable.
Select what type of rules will be displayed in the Rules setup section using the Rules to display list:
Only user defined rules Displays only those rules created by the user.
User and predefined rules Displays all user-defined and default pre-defined rules.
All rules (including system) All rules are displayed.
At the beginning of each line corresponding to a rule, there is a button allowing you to expand/collapse (+/-) the
information. Click on the name of the application in the Application / Rule column to display information about the
rule at the bottom of this window. You can use the contextual menu to change the display mode. The contextual
menu can be also used for adding, editing and deleting rules.
Trusted zone in/out Actions related to incoming or outgoing communication within the Trusted zone.
Internet in/out Internet connection related actions to incoming or outgoing communication.
For each type (direction) of communication, you can select the following actions:
Allow To allow communication.
Ask You will be prompted to allow or deny each time communication is established.
Deny To deny communication.
Specific Cannot be classified with respect to the other actions. For example, if an IP address or port is allowed
through the Personal firewall it cannot be classified with certainty, whether incoming or outgoing
communications of a related application are allowed.
When installing a new application that accesses the network or when modifying an existing connection (remote
side, port number, etc.), a new rule must be created. To edit an existing rule, click the Rules tab and then click Edit.
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4.2.3.1.1 Detailed view of all rules
To see the following information in the Zone and rule setup window, click Toggle detailed view of all rules.
Name Name of rule, check box must be selected to activate the rule.
Action Shows the direction of communication and action.
Outgoing connections are allowed
Outgoing connections are blocked
Incoming connections are allowed
Incoming connections are blocked
All connections are allowed
All connections trigger a dialog window prompting you to select allow or deny
All connections are blocked
Protocol Communication protocol.
Address Address of remote computer.
Local port Port of local computer.
Remote port Port of remote computer.
Application Indicates the application to which the rule applies.
Modified Date of the last modification.
Profile Select the profile from Display rules used in the profile drop-down menu to display the profile's rules
filter.
Created/Modified Name of the user who modified the rule.
New Click to create a new rule.
Edit Click to edit existing rules.
Delete (Del) Click to delete existing rules.
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4.2.3.2 Editing rules
Modification is required each time any of the monitored parameters are changed. In this case, the rule cannot fulfill
the conditions and the specified action cannot be applied. If parameters have changed, the given connection may
be refused, which can result in problems with operation of the application in question. An example is a change of
network address or port number for the remote side.
The upper part of the window contains three tabs:
General Specify a rule name, the direction of the connection, the action, the protocol and the profile to which
the rule will apply.
Local Displays information about the local side of the connection, including the number of the local port or port
range and the name of the communicating application.
Remote This tab contains information about the remote port (port range). It also allows you to define a list of
remote IP addresses or zones for a given rule.
Protocol represents the transfer protocol used for the rule. Click Select protocol... to open the Protocol selection
window.
All rules are enabled For every profile by default. Alternatively, select a custom firewall profile using the Profiles...
button.
If you click Log, the activity connected with the rule will be recorded in a log. Notify user displays a notification
when the rule is applied.
At the bottom of all three tabs is a summary of the rule. You will see the same information if you click the rule in the
main window (Tools > Network connections; right-click the rule and select Show details (see chapter Network
connections)).
When creating a new rule, you have to enter a name for the rule into the Name field. Select the direction to which
the rule applies from the Direction drop-down menu. Select the action to be executed when a communication
meets the rule from the Action drop-down menu.
A good example of adding a new rule is allowing your Internet browser to access the network. In this example, the
following must be configured:
In the General tab, enable outgoing communication via the TCP and UDP protocol.
Add the process representing your browser application (for Internet Explorer it is iexplore.exe) in the Local tab.
In the Remote tab, enable port number 80 only if you wish to allow standard Internet browsing activities.
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4.2.4.1 Network authentication
For mobile computers, it is recommended that you verify the network credibility of the network that you are
connecting to. The Trusted zone is identified by the local IP address of the network adapter. Mobile computers
often enter networks with IP addresses that are similar to the trusted network. If the Trusted zone settings are not
manually switched to Public network, the Personal firewall will continue to use the Home/work network mode.
To prevent this type of situation, we recommended using zone authentication.
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authenticate the server. The authentication process is repeated for each network your computer connects to. Click
Setup... and specify a server name, server listening port and a public key that corresponds to the private server key
(see section Zone authentication Server configuration). The server name can be entered in the form of an IP
address, DNS or NetBios name. The server name can be followed by a path specifying the location of the key on the
server (e.g., server_name_/directory1/directory2/authentication). Enter multiple servers, separated by semicolons,
to serve as alternate servers if the first one is unavailable.
The public key can be a file of one of the following types:
PEM encrypted public key (.pem)
This key can be generated using the ESET Authentication Server (see section Zone authentication Server
configuration).
Encrypted public key
Public key certificate (.crt)
To test your settings, click Test. If authentication is successful, a Server authentication successful notification will
appear. If authentication is not configured properly, one of the following error messages will appear:
Server authentication failed. Maximum time for authentication elapsed.
The authentication server is inaccessible. Check the server name/IP address and/or verify the Personal firewall
settings of the client as well as the server section.
An error has occurred while communicating with the server.
The authentication server is not running. Start the authentication server service (see section Zone authentication
Server configuration).
The name of the authentication zone does not match the server zone.
The configured zone name does not correspond with the authentication server zone. Review both zones and ensure
their names are identical.
Server authentication failed. Server address not found in the list of addresses for the given zone.
The IP address of the computer running the authentication server is outside the defined IP address range of the
current zone configuration.
Server authentication failed. Probably an invalid public key was entered.
Verify that the public key specified corresponds to the private server key. Also verify that the public key file is not
corrupted.
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4.2.4.1.2 Zone authentication - Server configuration
The authentication process can be executed by any computer/server connected to the network that is to be
authenticated. The ESET Authentication Server application needs to be installed on a computer/server that is always
accessible for authentication whenever a client attempts to connect to the network. The installation file for the
ESET Authentication Server application is available for download on ESETs website.
After you install the ESET Authentication Server application, a dialog window will appear (you can access the
application by clicking Start > Programs > ESET > ESET Authentication Server).
To configure the authentication server, enter the authentication zone name, the server listening port (default is 80)
as well as the location to store the public and private key pair. Next, generate the public and private key that will be
used in the authentication process. The private key will remain on the server while the public key needs to be
imported on the client side in the Zone authentication section when setting up a zone in the firewall setup.
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4.2.5 Establishing connection - detection
The Personal firewall detects each newly-created network connection. The active firewall mode determines which
actions are performed for the new rule. If Automatic mode or Policy-based mode is activated, the Personal firewall
will perform predefined actions with no user interaction.
Interactive mode displays an informational window that reports detection of a new network connection,
supplemented with detailed information about the connection. You can opt to allow the connection or refuse
(block) it. If you repeatedly allow the same connection in the dialog window, we recommend that you create a new
rule for the connection. To do this, select Remember action (create rule) and save the action as a new rule for the
Personal firewall. If the firewall recognizes the same connection in the future, it will apply the existing rule without
requiring user interaction.
Please be careful when creating new rules and only allow connections that you know are secure. If all connections
are allowed, then the Personal firewall fails to accomplish its purpose. These are the important parameters for
connections:
Remote side Only allow connections to trusted and known addresses.
Local application It is not advisable to allow connections for unknown applications and processes.
Port number Communication on common ports (e.g., web traffic port number 80) should be allowed under
normal circumstances.
In order to proliferate, computer infiltrations often use the Internet and hidden connections to help them infect
remote systems. If rules are configured correctly, a Personal firewall becomes a useful tool for protection against a
variety of malicious code attacks.
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4.2.6 Logging
The ESET Smart Security Personal firewall saves all important events in a log file, which can be viewed directly from
the main menu. Click Tools > Log files and then select Personal firewall from the Log drop-down menu.
The log files can be used to detect errors and reveal intrusions into your system. ESET Personal firewall logs contain
the following data:
Date and time of event
Name of event
Source
Target network address
Network communication protocol
Rule applied, or name of worm, if identified
Application involved
User
A thorough analysis of this data can help detect attempts to compromise system security. Many other factors
indicate potential security risks and allow you to minimize their impact: frequent connections from unknown
locations, multiple attempts to establish connections, unknown applications communicating or unusual port
numbers used.
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4.3 Web and email
Web and email configuration can be found in the Setup pane by clicking on Web and email. From here you can
access more detailed settings of the program.
Internet connectivity is a standard feature for personal computers. Unfortunately, the Internet has become the
primary medium for distributing malicious code. For this reason it is essential that you carefully consider your Web
access protection settings.
Click Configure to open web/email/anti-phishing/antispam protection settings in Advanced setup.
Email client protection provides control of email communications received through POP3 and IMAP protocol. Using
the plug-in program for your email client, ESET Smart Security provides control of all communications to and from
your email client (POP3, MAPI, IMAP, HTTP).
Anti-Phishing protection allows you to block web pages known to distribute phishing content. We strongly
recommend that you leave Anti-Phishing enabled.
Antispam protection filters unsolicited email messages.
User's Whitelist Opens a dialog window where you can add, edit or delete email addresses that are considered
safe. Email messages received from addresses listed in the Whitelist will not be scanned for spam.
User's Blacklist Opens a dialog window where you can add, edit or delete email addresses that are considered
unsafe. Email messages received from addresses listed in the Blacklist will be assessed as spam.
User's Exceptions list Opens a dialog window where you can add, edit or delete email addresses that may be
spoofed and used for sending spam. Email messages received from addresses listed in the Exception list will
always be scanned for spam. By default, the Exception list contains all email addresses from existing email client
accounts.
You can disable the web/email/anti-phishing/antispam protection module temporarily by clicking Enabled.
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4.3.1 Email client protection
Email protection provides control of email communication received through the POP3 and IMAP protocols. Using the
plug-in for Microsoft Outlook and other e-mail clients, ESET Smart Security provides control of all communications
from the email client (POP3, MAPI, IMAP, HTTP). When examining incoming messages, the program uses all the
advanced scanning methods included in the ThreatSense scanning engine. This means that detection of malicious
programs takes place even before being matched against the virus signature database. Scanning of POP3 and IMAP
protocol communications is independent of the email client used.
The options for this functionality are available through Advanced setup > Web and email > Email client protection.
ThreatSense engine parameter setup The advanced virus scanner setup enables you to configure scan targets,
detection methods, etc. Click Setup... to display the detailed virus scanner setup window.
After an email has been checked, a notification with the scan result can be appended to the message. You can elect
to Append tag messages to received and read mail or Append tag messages to sent mail. Be aware that on rare
occasions tag messages may be omitted in problematic HTML messages or forged by some viruses. The tag messages
can be added to received and read email, sent email or both. The available options are:
Never No tag messages will be added at all.
To infected email only Only messages containing malicious software will be marked as checked (default).
To all scanned email The program will append messages to all scanned email.
Append note to the subject of received and read/sent infected email Select this check box if you want email
protection to include a virus warning in the subject of an infected email. This feature allows for simple, subject-
based filtering of infected emails (if supported by your email program). It also increases the level of credibility for
the recipient and if an infiltration is detected, provides valuable information about the threat level of a given email
or sender.
Template added to the subject of infected email Edit this template if you wish to modify the subject prefix format
of an infected email. This function will replace the message subject "Hello" with a given prefix value "[virus]" to the
following format: "[virus] Hello". The variable %VIRUSNAME% represents the detected threat.
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4.3.1.1.1 Email client protection configuration
The Email client protection module supports the following email clients: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express,
Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail. Email protection works as a plug-in for these programs. The main advantage of
the plug-in is that it is independent of the protocol used. When the email client receives an encrypted message, it is
decrypted and sent to the virus scanner.
Email to scan
Received email Toggles checking of received messages.
Sent email Toggles checking of sent messages.
Read email Toggles checking of read messages.
Other
Repeat scan after update Toggles rescanning after a virus signature database update.
Accept scan results from other modules If this is selected, the email protection module accepts scan results of
other protection modules.
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4.3.1.3 POP3, POP3S filter
The POP3 protocol is the most widespread protocol used to receive email communication in an email client
application. ESET Smart Security provides protection for this protocol regardless of the email client used.
The protection module providing this control is automatically initiated at system startup and is then active in
memory. For the module to work correctly, please make sure it is enabled POP3 protocol checking is performed
automatically without requiring re-configuration of the email client. By default, all communication on port 110 is
scanned, but other communication ports can be added if necessary. Multiple port numbers must be delimited by a
comma.
Encrypted communication will be not scanned. To enable the scanning of encrypted communication and view the
scanner setup, navigate to SSL protocol checking in Advanced setup section, click Web and email > Protocol filtering
> SSL and enable the Always scan SSL protocol option.
In this section, you can configure POP3 and POP3S protocol checking.
Enable POP3 protocol checking If enabled, all traffic through POP3 is monitored for malicious software.
Ports used by POP3 protocol A list of ports used by the POP3 protocol (110 by default).
ESET Smart Security also supports POP3S protocol checking. This type of communication uses an encrypted channel
to transfer information between server and client. ESET Smart Security checks communications utilizing the SSL
(Secure Socket Layer), and TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption methods.
Do not use POP3S checking Encrypted communication will not be checked.
Use POP3S protocol checking for selected ports Check this option to enable POP3S checking only for ports defined
in Ports used by POP3S protocol.
Ports used by POP3S protocol A list of POP3S ports to check (995 by default).
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4.3.1.4 Antispam protection
Unsolicited email, called spam, ranks among the greatest problems of electronic communication. Spam represents
up to 80 percent of all email communication. Antispam protection serves to protect against this problem. Combining
several email security principles, the Antispam module provides superior filtering to keep your inbox clean.
One important principle for spam detection is the ability to recognize unsolicited email based on predefined
trusted addresses (whitelist) and spam addresses (blacklist). All addresses from your contact list are automatically
added to the whitelist, as well as all other addresses you mark as safe.
The primary method used to detect spam is the scanning of email message properties. Received messages are
scanned for basic Antispam criteria (message definitions, statistical heuristics, recognizing algorithms and other
unique methods) and the resulting index value determines whether a message is spam or not.
Antispam protection in ESET Smart Security allows you to set different parameters to work with mailing lists.
Options are as follows:
Message processing
Add text to email subject Enables you to add a custom prefix string to the subject line of messages that have been
classified as spam. The default is "[SPAM]".
Move messages to spam folder When enabled, spam messages will be moved to the default junk email folder.
Use the folder This option moves spam to a user-defined folder.
Mark spam messages as read Select this to automatically mark spam as read. It will help you to focus your
attention on "clean" messages.
Mark reclassified messages as unread Messages originally classified as spam, but later marked as clean" will be
displayed as unread.
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Spam score logging
The ESET Smart Security Antispam engine assigns a spam score to every scanned message. The message will be
recorded in the antispam log (ESET Smart Security > Tools > Log files > Antispam protection).
Do not write The Score cell in the Antispam protection log will be empty.
Write only reclassified messages and messages marked as SPAM Select this if you want to record a spam score
for messages marked as SPAM.
Write all messages All messages will be recorded to the log with a spam score.
Start email client antispam protection automatically When enabled, antispam protection will be activated
automatically on system startup.
Allow advanced antispam control Additional antispam databases will be downloaded, increasing antispam
capabilities and producing better results.
ESET Smart Security supports Antispam protection for Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Windows
Live Mail.
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4.3.2 Web access protection
Internet connectivity is a standard feature in a personal computer. Unfortunately, it has also become the main
medium for transferring malicious code. Web access protection works by monitoring communication between web
browsers and remote servers, and complies with HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS (encrypted
communication) rules.
We strongly recommend that Web access protection is enabled. This option can be accessed from the main window
of ESET Smart Security by navigating to Setup > Web and email > Web access protection. Access to known web pages
with malicious content is always blocked.
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4.3.2.2 URL address management
The URL address management section enables you to specify HTTP addresses to block, allow or exclude from
checking. Add, Edit, Remove and Export are used to manage the lists of addresses. Websites in the list of blocked
addresses will not be accessible. Websites in the list of excluded addresses are accessed without being scanned for
malicious code. If you select Allow access only to URL addresses in the list of allowed addresses, only addresses
present in the list of allowed addresses will be accessible, while all other HTTP addresses will be blocked.
If you add a URL address to the List of addresses excluded from filtering, the address will be excluded from
scanning. You can also allow or block certain addresses by adding them to the List of allowed addresses or List of
blocked addresses. Click Lists..., to open the HTTP address/mask lists window where you can Add or Remove lists of
addresses. In order to add an HTTPS URL addresses to the list, Always scan SSL protocol must be selected.
In all lists, the special symbols * (asterisk) and ? (question mark) can be used. The asterisk substitutes any character
string, and the question mark substitutes any symbol. Particular care should be taken when specifying excluded
addresses, because the list should only contain trusted and safe addresses. Similarly, it is necessary to ensure that
the symbols * and ? are used correctly in this list. See Add HTTP address / domain mask for how a whole domain
including all subdomains can be matched safely. To activate a list, select the List active option. If you want to be
notified when entering an address from the current list, select Notify when applying address from the list.
Add.../From file Allows you to add an address to the list, either manually (click Add), or from a simple text file
(click From file). The From file option allows you to add multiple URL addresses/masks saved in a text file.
Edit... Manually edit addresses for example by adding a mask ("*" and "?").
Remove/Remove all Click Remove to delete the selected address from the list. To delete all addresses, select
Remove all.
Export... Save addresses from the current list to a simple text file.
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4.3.3 Protocol filtering
Antivirus protection for the application protocols is provided by the ThreatSense scanning engine, which seamlessly
integrates all advanced malware scanning techniques. The control works automatically, regardless of the Internet
browser or email client used. For encrypted (SSL) communication see Protocol filtering > SSL.
Enable application protocol content filtering If enabled, all HTTP(S), POP3(S) and IMAP(S) traffic will be checked by
the antivirus scanner.
NOTE: Starting with Windows Vista Service Pack 1, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, the new Windows Filtering
Platform (WFP) architecture is used to check network communication. Since the WFP technology uses special
monitoring techniques, the following options are not available:
HTTP, POP3 and IMAP ports Limits routing the traffic to the internal proxy server only for the corresponding
ports.
Applications marked as web browsers and email clients Limits routing the traffic to the internal proxy server
only for the applications marked as browsers and email clients (Web and email > Protocol filtering > Web and
email clients).
Ports and applications marked as web browsers or email clients Enables routing of all traffic on the
corresponding ports as well as all the communication of the applications marked as browsers and email clients on
the internal proxy server.
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4.3.3.2 Excluded applications
To exclude communication of specific network-aware applications from content filtering, select them in the list.
HTTP/POP3/IMAP communication of the selected applications will not be checked for threats. We recommend using
this option only for applications that do not work properly with their communication being checked.
Running applications and services will be available here automatically. Click Add... to manually select an application
not shown on the protocol filtering list.
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4.3.3.3 Excluded IP addresses
The entries in the list will be excluded from protocol content filtering. HTTP/POP3/IMAP communication from/to
the selected addresses will not be checked for threats. We recommend that you only use this option for addresses
that are known to be trustworthy.
Add IPv4/IPv6 address Click to add an IP address/address range/subnet of a remote point to which a rule is
applied.
Remove Remove selected entries from the list.
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4.3.3.4 SSL protocol checking
ESET Smart Security enables you to check protocols encapsulated in SSL protocol. You can use various scanning
modes for SSL protected communications using trusted certificates, unknown certificates, or certificates that are
excluded from SSL-protected communication checking.
Always scan SSL protocol Select this option to scan all SSL protected communications except communications
protected by certificates excluded from checking. If a new communication using an unknown, signed certificate is
established, you will not be notified and the communication will automatically be filtered. When you access a
server with an untrusted certificate that is marked as trusted (it is added to the trusted certificates list),
communication to the server is allowed and the content of the communication channel is filtered.
Ask about non-visited sites (exclusions can be set) If you enter a new SSL protected site (with an unknown
certificate), an action selection dialog is displayed. This mode allows you to create a list of SSL certificates that will
be excluded from scanning.
Do not scan SSL protocol If selected, the program will not scan communications over SSL.
Apply created exceptions based on certificates Activates using exclusions specified in excluded and trusted
certificates for scanning SSL communication. This option is available if you select Always scan SSL protocol.
Block encrypted communication utilizing the obsolete protocol SSL v2 Communication using the earlier version of
the SSL protocol will automatically be blocked.
4.3.3.4.1 Certificates
For SSL communication to work properly in your browsers/email clients, it is essential that the root certificate for
ESET be added to the list of known root certificates (publishers). Add the root certificate to known browsers should
be enabled. Select this option to automatically add the ESET root certificate to the known browsers (for example,
Opera and Firefox). For browsers using the system certification store, the certificate is added automatically (e.g.
Internet Explorer). To apply the certificate to unsupported browsers, click View Certificate > Details > Copy to File...
and then manually import it into the browser.
In some cases, the certificate cannot be verified using the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store (e.g.
VeriSign). This means that the certificate is self-signed by someone (e.g. administrator of a web server or a small
business company) and considering this certificate as trusted is not always a risk. Most large businesses (for
example banks) use a certificate signed by TRCA. If Ask about certificate validity is selected (selected by default),
the user will be prompted to select an action to take when encrypted communication is established. An action
selection dialog will be displayed where you can decide to mark the certificate as trusted or excluded. If the
certificate is not present in the TRCA list, the window is red. If the certificate is on the TRCA list, the window will be
green.
You can select Block communication that uses the certificate to always terminate an encrypted connection to the
site that uses the unverified certificate.
If the certificate is invalid or corrupt, it means that the certificate expired or was incorrectly self-signed. In this case,
we recommend that you block the communication that uses the certificate.
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4.3.3.4.1.2 Excluded certificates
The Excluded certificates section contains certificates that are considered safe. The content of encrypted
communications utilizing the certificates in the list will not be checked for threats. We recommend only excluding
web certificates that are guaranteed to be safe and where communication utilizing the certificates does not need to
be checked. To delete selected items from the list, click Remove. Click Show (or double-click the certificate) to
display information about the selected certificate.
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NOTE: Potential phishing websites that have been whitelisted will expire after several hours by default. To allow a
website permanently, you can use the URL address management tool. From Advanced setup (F5) click Web and
email > Web access protection > URL address management and from the URL address management drop-down
menu select List of allowed addresses and add your website to this list.
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2. Click Setup > Parental control from the main program window. Even though Enabled appears next to Parental
control, you must configure Parental control for the desired account by clicking Not defined. In the Account setup
window enter an age to determine the level of access and recommended age-appropriate web pages. Parental
control will now be enabled for the specified user account. Click Setup under an account name to customize
categories you want to allow or block in the Web page content filtering tab. To allow or block custom web pages
that do not match a category, click the Blocked and allowed web pages tab.
If you click Parental control in the Setup pane from the main product window of ESET Smart Security, you will see
that the main window is divided into three sections.
1. Parental control
After deselecting Enabled on the right, a Temporarily disable protection window will appear. Here you can set the
time interval for which protection is disabled. The option then changes to Disabled and all following settings will be
hidden.
It is important to protect the settings in ESET Smart Security with a password. This password can be set in the Access
setup section. If no password is set the following warning will appear under the Parental control option Password
for Advanced setup is required to protect Parental control from modification; Set password... will be visible. The
restrictions set in Parental control only affect the standard user accounts. Because an Administrator can override
any restriction, they will not have any effect.
HTTPS (SSL) communication is not filtered by default. Therefore, Parental control cannot block web pages that begin
with https://. To enable this feature, select Enable next to the Filtering of encrypted (HTTPS) websites is not
enabled warning message, or select Always scan SSL protocol in Advanced setup > Web and email > Protocol
filtering > SSL configuration section.
Note: Parental control requires Application protocol content filtering, HTTP protocol checking and Personal firewall
system integration to be enabled in order to function properly. All of these functionalities are enabled by default.
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will toggle Parental control for the account. Under an active account, click Setup... to see the list of allowed
categories of web pages for this account and blocked and allowed web pages.
Important: To create a new account (for example, for a child), use the following step-by-step instructions for
Windows 7 or Windows Vista:
1. Open User Accounts by clicking the Start button (located at the bottom left side of your desktop), clicking Control
Panel and then clicking User Accounts.
2. Click Manage another account. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the
password or provide confirmation.
3. Click Create a new account.
4. Type the name you want to give the user account, click an account type, and then click Create Account.
5. Reopen the Parental control pane by clicking again from the main program window of ESET Smart Security to
Setup > Parental control.
Exceptions defined here are superior to the categories defined for the selected account(s). For example, if the
account has the News category blocked, but you have defined an allowed news webpage as an exception, the
account can access the allowed webpage. You can check the changes made here in the Blocked and allowed web
pages section.
Show log This shows a detailed log of the Parental control activity (blocked pages, the account the page was
blocked for, reason, etc.). You can also filter this log based on the criteria you choose by clicking Filter....
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4.4.1 Web page content filtering
If the check box next to a category is selected, it is allowed. Deselect the check box next to a specific category to
block it for the selected account.
Moving the mouse over a category will show you a list of web pages that fall into that category. Here are some
examples of categories (groups) that users might not be familiar with:
Miscellaneous Usually private (local) IP addresses such as intranet, 127.0.0.0/8, 192.168.0.0/16, etc. When you
get a 403 or 404 error code, the website will also match this category.
Not resolved This category includes web pages that are not resolved because of an error when connecting to the
Parental control database engine.
Not categorized Unknown web pages that are not yet in the Parental control database.
File sharing These web pages contain large amounts of data such as photos, videos or e-books. There is a risk
that these sites contain potentially offensive material or adult content.
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4.4.2 Blocked and allowed web pages
Enter a URL address into the blank field under the list, select Allow or Block and click Add to add it to the list. To
delete an URL address from the list, click the remove button .
In the URL address list, the special symbols * (asterisk) and ? (question mark) cannot be used. For example, web
page addresses with multiple TLDs must be entered manually (examplepage.com, examplepage.sk, etc.). When you
enter a domain to the list, all content located on this domain and all subdomains (e.g. sub.examplepage.com) will
be blocked or allowed based on your choice of URL-based action.
Note: Blocking or allowing a specific web page can be more accurate than blocking or allowing a whole category of
web pages. Be careful when changing these settings and adding a category/web page to the list.
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Last successful update The date of the last update. If you do not see a recent date, your virus signature database
may not be current.
Virus signature database version The virus signature database number, which is also an active link to the ESET
website. Click it to view a list of all signatures added within the given update.
Click Check for updates to detect the latest available version of ESET Smart Security.
Update process
After clicking Update now, the download process begins. A download progress bar and remaining time to download
will be displayed. To interrupt the update, click Cancel update.
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Important: Under normal circumstances, when updates are downloaded properly the message Update is not
necessary the virus signature database is up to date will appear in the Update window. If this is not the case, the
program is out of date and more vulnerable to infection. Please update the virus signature database as soon as
possible. Otherwise, one of the following messages will be displayed:
The previous notification is related to the following two Virus signature database update ended with an error
messages about unsuccessful updates:
1. Invalid Username and/or Password The Username and Password have been incorrectly entered in update setup.
We recommend that you check your authentication data. The Advanced setup window (click Setup from the main
menu and then click Enter advanced setup..., or press F5 on your keyboard) contains additional update options.
Click Update > Settings in the Advanced setup tree to enter a new Username and Password.
2. Server not found A possible cause of the error is incorrect Internet connection settings. We recommend that
you check your Internet connectivity (by opening any website in your web browser). If the website does not
open, it is likely that an Internet connection is not established or there are connectivity problems with your
computer. Please check with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) if you do not have an active Internet connection.
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4.5.1 Update settings
Update setup options are available from the Advanced setup tree (F5 key) by clicking Update > Settings. This section
specifies update source information, such as the update servers and authentication data for these servers. In the
home version of ESET products you are not able to choose own update server. Update files will automatically be
downloaded from the ESET server with the least network traffic. The Update server drop-down menu is only
available in ESET Endpoint Antivirus or ESET Endpoint Security.
For updates to be downloaded properly, it is essential that all update information is entered correctly. If you use a
firewall, please make sure that the program is allowed to communicate with the Internet (HTTP communication is
enabled).
Your current update profile is displayed in the Selected profile drop-down menu. Click Profiles... to create a new
profile.
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Authentication for update servers is based on the Username and Password generated and sent to you after
purchase. By default, no verification is required and the Username and Password fields are left empty.
Pre-release updates (the Pre-release update option) are updates that have gone through thorough internal testing
and will be available to the general public soon. You can benefit from enabling pre-release updates by having access
to the most recent detection methods and fixes. However, pre-release updates might not be stable enough at all
times and SHOULD NOT be used on production servers and workstations where maximum availability and stability is
required. The list of current modules can be found in Help and support > About ESET Smart Security. It is
recommended that basic users leave the Regular update option selected by default.
Click Setup... next to Advanced update setup to display a window containing advanced update options.
If you experience problems with an update, click Clear to delete temporary update files.
Do not display notification about successful update Turns off the system tray notification at the bottom right
corner of the screen. It is useful to select this option if a full screen application or a game is running. Please note
that Gamer mode will disable all notifications.
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NOTE: Selecting the most appropriate option depends on the workstation where the settings will be applied. Please
be aware that there are differences between workstations and servers. For example, restarting the server
automatically after a program upgrade could cause serious damage.
If the Ask before downloading update option is selected, a notification will display when a new update is available.
If the update file size is greater than the value specified in the Ask if an update file is greater than field, the program
will display a notification.
The Regularly check for latest product version option will enable the Regular checking for latest product version
scheduled task (see Scheduler).
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and download updates.
Warning: When either Current user or Specified user is selected, an error may occur when changing the identity of
the program to the desired user. We recommend entering the LAN authentication data in the main update setup
section. In this update setup section, the authentication data should be entered as follows: domain_name\user (if it
is a workgroup, enter workgroup_name\name) and password. When updating from the HTTP version of the local
server, no authentication is required.
Select Disconnect from server after update if connection to the server remains active even after updates have been
downloaded.
Select Until revoked to postpone regular updates indefinitely until you restore update functionality manually.
Because it represents a potential security risk, we do not recommend selecting this option.
If a rollback is performed, the Roll back button changes to Allow updates. No updates will be allowed for the time
interval selected from the Suspend updates drop-down menu. The virus signature database version is downgraded
to the oldest available and stored as a snapshot in the local computer file system.
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Example: Let the number 6871 be the most recent version of virus signature database. 6870 and 6868 are stored as a
virus signature database snapshots. Note that 6869 is not available because, for example, the computer was turned
off and a more recent update was made available before 6869 was downloaded. If the Number of locally stored
snapshots field is set to 2 and you click Roll back, the virus signature database (including program modules) will be
restored to version number 6868. This process may take some time. Check whether the virus signature database
version has downgraded from the main program window of ESET Smart Security in the Update section.
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4.6 Tools
The Tools menu includes modules that help simplify program administration and offers additional options for
advanced users.
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4.6.1 Log files
Log files contain information about all important program events that have occurred and provide an overview of
detected threats. Logging is an essential part of system analysis, threat detection and troubleshooting. Logging is
performed actively in the background with no user interaction. Information is recorded based on the current log
verbosity settings. It is possible to view text messages and logs directly from the ESET Smart Security environment,
as well as to archive logs.
Log files are accessible from the main program window by clicking Tools > Log files. Select the desired log type from
the Log drop-down menu. The following logs are available:
Detected threats The threat log offers detailed information about infiltrations detected by ESET Smart Security .
The information includes the time of detection, name of infiltration, location, the performed action and the name
of the user logged in at the time the infiltration was detected. Double-click any log entry to display its details in a
separate window.
Events All important actions performed by ESET Smart Security are recorded in the event log. The event log
contains information about events and errors that have occurred in the program. It is designed for system
administrators and users to solve problems. Often the information found here can help you find a solution for a
problem occurring in the program.
Computer scan Results of all completed manual or planned scans are displayed in this window. Each line
corresponds to a single computer control. Double-click any entry to view details of the respective scan.
HIPS Contains records of specific HIPS rules which were marked for recording. The protocol shows the
application that triggered the operation, the result (whether the rule was permitted or prohibited) and the
created rule name.
Personal firewall The firewall log displays all remote attacks detected by the Personal firewall. Here you will
find information about any attacks on your computer. The Event column lists the detected attacks. The Source
column tells you more about the attacker. The Protocol column reveals the communication protocol used for the
attack. Analysis of the firewall log may help you to detect system infiltration attempts in time to prevent
unauthorized access to your system.
Filtered websites This list is useful if you want to view a list of websites that were blocked by Web access
protection or Parental control. In these logs you can see time, URL address, user and application that created a
connection to the particular website.
Antispam protection Contains records related to email messages that were marked as spam.
Parental control Shows web pages blocked or allowed by Parental control. The Match type and Match values
columns tell you how the filtering rules were applied.
Device control Contains records of removable media or devices that were connected to the computer. Only
devices with respective Device control rules will be recorded to the log file. If the rule does not match a
connected device, a log entry for a connected device will not be created. Here you can also see details such as
device type, serial number, vendor name and media size (if available).
In each section, the displayed information can be directly copied to the clipboard (keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C) by
selecting the entry and clicking Copy. To select multiple entries, the CTRL and SHIFT keys can be used.
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You can show the context menu by right-clicking a specific entry. The following options are available in the context
menu:
Filter records of the same type After activating this filter, you will only see records of the same type
(diagnostics, warnings, ...).
Filter.../Find... When enabled, a Log filtering window will pop up where you can define the filtering criteria.
Clear filter Clears all filter settings (as described above).
Copy all Copies information about all the records in the window.
Delete/Delete all Deletes the selected record(s) or all the records displayed this action requires administrator
privileges.
Export Exports information about the record(s) in XML format.
Don't block similar events in the future This option is visible in firewall log only. Adds an IDS exception from
selected activity to Personal firewall.
Scroll log Leave this option enabled to auto scroll old logs and watch active logs in the Log files window.
4.6.2 Scheduler
Scheduler manages and launches scheduled tasks with predefined configuration and properties.
The Scheduler can be accessed from the ESET Smart Security main program window by clicking Tools > Scheduler.
The Scheduler contains a list of all scheduled tasks and configuration properties such as the predefined date, time
and scanning profile used.
The Scheduler serves to schedule the following tasks: virus signature database update, scanning task, system
startup file check and log maintenance. You can add or delete tasks directly from the main Scheduler window (click
Add... or Delete at the bottom). Right click anywhere in the Scheduler window to perform the following actions:
display detailed information, perform the task immediately, add a new task, and delete an existing task. Use the
checkboxes at the beginning of each entry to activate/deactivate the tasks.
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By default, the following scheduled tasks are displayed in Scheduler:
Log maintenance
Regular automatic update
Automatic update after dial-up connection
Automatic update after user logon
Regular checking for latest product version (see Update mode)
Automatic startup file check (after user logon)
Automatic startup file check (after successful update of the virus signature database)
Automatic first scan
To edit the configuration of an existing scheduled task (both default and user-defined), right-click the task and click
Edit... or select the task you want to modify and click Edit....
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4.6.3 Protection statistics
To view a graph of statistical data related to ESET Smart Security's protection modules, click Tools > Protection
statistics. Select the desired protection module from the Statistics drop-down menu to see the corresponding graph
and legend. If you mouse over an item in the legend, only the data for that item will display in the graph.
The following statistic graphs are available:
Antivirus and Antispyware protection Displays the number of infected and cleaned objects.
File system protection Only displays objects that were read or written to the file system.
Email client protection Only displays objects that were sent or received by email clients.
Web access and Anti-Phishing protection Only displays objects downloaded by web browsers.
Email client antispam protection Displays the history of antispam statistics since the last startup.
Below the statistics graphs, you can see the number of total scanned objects, latest scanned object and the statistics
timestamp. Click Reset to clear all statistics information.
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given in KB (kilobytes)/MB/GB. If you mouse over either read data or written data in the legend below the graph,
the graph will only display data for that activity type.
You can also select Network activity from the Activity drop-down menu. The graph display and options for File
system activity and Network activity are the same except that the latter displays received data (red) and sent data
(blue).
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The ESET Live Grid setup menu provides several options for enabling / disabling ESET Live Grid, which serves to
submit suspicious files and anonymous statistical information to ESET labs. It is accessible from the Advanced setup
tree by clicking Tools > ESET Live Grid.
Participate in ESET Live Grid (recommended) Enables / disables ESET Live Grid, which serves to submit suspicious
files and anonymous statistical information to ESET labs.
Do not submit statistics Select this option if you do not want to submit anonymous information gathered by ESET
Live Grid about your computer. This information is related to newly detected threats, which may include the name
of the infiltration, information about the date and time it was detected, the version of ESET Smart Security,
information about your computer's operating system version and Location settings. The statistics are normally
delivered to ESET servers once or twice a day.
Do not submit files Suspicious files, resembling infiltrations in their content or behavior, are not submitted to ESET
for analysis by means of ESET Live Grid technology.
Advanced setup... Opens a window with additional ESET Live Grid settings.
If you have used ESET Live Grid before and have disabled it, there may still be data packages to send. Even after
deactivating, such packages will be sent to ESET on the next occasion. Afterwards, no further packages will be
created.
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4.6.7 Running processes
Running processes displays the running programs or processes on your computer and keeps ESET immediately and
continuously informed about new infiltrations. ESET Smart Security provides detailed information on running
processes to protect users with ESET Live Grid technology.
Process Image name of the program or process that is currently running on your computer. You can also use the
Windows Task Manager to see all running processes on your computer. You can open Task Manager by right-clicking
an empty area on the taskbar and then clicking Task Manager, or by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard.
Risk level In most cases, ESET Smart Security and ESET Live Grid technology assign risk levels to objects (files,
processes, registry keys, etc.) using a series of heuristic rules that examine the characteristics of each object and
then weigh their potential for malicious activity. Based on these heuristics, objects are assigned a risk level from 1
Fine (green) to 9 Risky (red).
NOTE: Known applications marked as Fine (green) are definitely clean (whitelisted) and will be excluded from
scanning, as this will improve the scanning speed of on-demand computer scan or Real-time file system protection
on your computer.
Number of users The number of users that use a given application. This information is gathered by ESET Live Grid
technology.
Time of discovery Period of time since the application was discovered by ESET Live Grid technology.
NOTE: When an application is marked as Unknown (orange) security level, it is not necessarily malicious software.
Usually it is just a newer application. If you are not sure about the file, you can submit file for analysis to the ESET
Virus Lab. If the file turns out to be a malicious application, its detection will be added to one of the upcoming
updates.
Application name The given name of a program or process.
Open in a new window The running processes information will be opened in a new window.
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By clicking a given application at the bottom, the following information will appear at the bottom of the window:
File Location of an application on your computer.
File size File size in B (bytes).
File description File characteristics based on the description from the operating system.
Company name Name of the vendor or application process.
File version Information from the application publisher.
Product name Application name and/or business name.
NOTE: Reputation can also be checked on files that do not act as running programs/processes mark files you want
to check, right-click them and select Advanced options > Check File Reputation using ESET Live Grid.
The first line displays the name of the application and its data transfer speed. To see the list of connections made by
the application (and also more detailed information), click +.
Application/Local IP Name of application, local IP addresses and communication ports.
Remote IP IP address and port number of the particular remote computer.
Protocol Transfer protocol used.
Up-Speed/Down-Speed The current speed of outgoing and incoming data.
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Sent/Received Amount of data exchanged within the connection.
Open in a new window Displays information in a separate window.
The Configure connection view... option in the Network connections screen enters the advanced setup structure for
this section, enabling you to modify connection view options:
Resolve host names If possible, all network addresses are displayed in DNS format, not in the numeral IP address
format.
Only show TCP protocol connections The list only displays connections which belong to the TCP protocol suite.
Show connections with open ports on which the computer is listening Select this option to only display
connections, where no communication is currently established, but the system has opened a port and is waiting for
a connection.
Also show connection within the computer Select this option to only show connections, where the remote side is
a local system so-called localhost connections.
Right-click on a connection to see additional options that include:
Deny communication for the connection Terminates the established communication. This option is available only
after clicking on an active connection.
Show details Choose this option to display detailed information about the selected connection.
Refresh speed Choose the frequency to refresh the active connections.
Refresh now Reloads the Network connections window.
The following options are available only after clicking on an application or process, not an active connection:
Temporarily deny communication for the process Rejects current connections for the given application. If a new
connection is established, the firewall uses a predefined rule. A description of the settings can be found in the
Rules and zones section.
Temporarily allow communication for the process Permits current connections for the given application. If a new
connection is established, the firewall uses a predefined rule. A description of the settings can be found in the
Rules and zones section.
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4.6.9 Quarantine
The main function of the quarantine is to safely store infected files. Files should be quarantined if they cannot be
cleaned, if it is not safe or advisable to delete them or if they are being falsely detected by ESET Smart Security.
You can choose to quarantine any file. This is advisable if a file behaves suspiciously but is not detected by the
antivirus scanner. Quarantined files can be submitted for analysis to the ESET Virus Lab.
Files stored in the quarantine folder can be viewed in a table that displays the date and time of quarantine, the path
to the original location of the infected file, its size in bytes, reason (for example, object added by user), and number
of threats (for example, if it is an archive containing multiple infiltrations).
Quarantining files
ESET Smart Security automatically quarantines deleted files (if you have not canceled this option in the alert
window). If desired, you can quarantine any suspicious file manually by clicking Quarantine... If this is the case, the
original file will not be removed from its original location. The context menu can also be used for this purpose;
right-click in the Quarantine window and select Quarantine....
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infected incorrectly (for example, by heuristic analysis of the code) and subsequently quarantined, please send the
file to the ESET Virus Lab. To submit a file from quarantine, right-click the file and select Submit for analysis from the
context menu.
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SMTP server requires authentication If the SMTP server requires authentication, these fields should be filled in
with a valid username and password granting access to the SMTP server.
Sender address This field specifies the sender address which will be displayed in the header of notification
emails.
Recipient address This field specifies the recipient address which will be displayed in the header of notification
emails.
Send event notifications to LAN computers by means of Messenger service Select this check box to send messages
to LAN computers via the Windows messaging service.
Send notifications to the following computers (delimited by a comma) Enter the names of computers that will
receive notifications via the Windows messaging service.
Interval between sending messages (sec.) To change the length of the interval between notifications sent via LAN,
enter the desired time interval in seconds.
Minimum verbosity for notifications Specifies the minimum verbosity level of notifications to be sent.
Edit format... Communications between the program and a remote user or system administrator are done via
emails or LAN messages (using the Windows messaging service). The default format of the alert messages and
notifications will be optimal for most situations. In some circumstances, you may need to change the message
format click Edit format....
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4.6.12 Submission of samples for analysis
The file submission dialog enables you to send a file or a site to ESET for analysis and can be found in Tools > Submit
sample for analysis. If you find a suspiciously behaving file on your computer or suspicious site on the Internet, you
can submit it to the ESET Virus Lab for analysis. If the file turns out to be a malicious application or website, its
detection will be added to an upcoming update.
Alternatively, you can submit the file by email. If you prefer this option, pack the file(s) using WinRAR/ZIP, protect
the archive with the password "infected" and send it to [email protected]. Please remember to use a descriptive
subject and enclose as much information about the file as possible (for example, the website you downloaded it
from).
NOTE: Before submitting a file to ESET, make sure it meets one or more of the following criteria:
the file is not detected at all
the file is incorrectly detected as a threat
You will not receive a response unless further information is required for analysis.
Select the description from the Reason for submitting the file drop-down menu that best fits your message:
Suspicious file
Suspicious site (a website that is infected by any malware),
False positive file (file that is detected as an infection but are not infected),
False positive site
Other
File/Site The path to the file or website you intend to submit.
Contact email This contact email is sent along with suspicious files to ESET and may be used to contact you if
further information is required for analysis. Entering a contact email is optional. You will not get a response from
ESET unless more information is required, since each day our servers receive tens of thousands of files, making it
impossible to reply to all submissions.
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The Context menu is displayed after right-clicking an object. Use this tool to integrate ESET Smart Security control
elements into the context menu.
4.7.1 Graphics
User interface configuration options in ESET Smart Security allow you to adjust the working environment to fit your
needs. These configuration options are accessible in the Advanced setup tree by expanding User interface and
clicking Graphics.
In the User interface elements section, the Graphical user interface option should be disabled if the graphical
elements slow the performance of your computer or cause other problems. The graphical interface may also need
to be turned off for visually impaired users, as it may conflict with special applications that are used for reading text
displayed on the screen.
If you want to deactivate the ESET Smart Security splash-screen, deselect Show splash-screen at startup.
Enable Select active control element to cause the system to highlight any element which is currently under the
active area of the mouse cursor. The highlighted element will be activated after a mouse click.
To enable the use of animated icons that display the progress of various operations, select Use animated icons for
progress indication.
If you want to have ESET Smart Security play a sound when important events occur during a scan, for example when
a threat is discovered or when the scan has finished, select Use sound signal.
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would be a system or network administrator. This option is especially useful for terminal servers, provided that all
system notifications are sent to the administrator.
Frequently used Displays the most frequently used parts of ESET Smart Security. You can quickly access these from
the program menu.
Temporarily disable protection Displays the confirmation dialog box that disables Antivirus and antispyware
protection, which guards against malicious system attacks by controlling file, web and email communication. Select
Do not ask again to avoid this message in the future.
The Time interval drop-down menu represents the period of time that Antivirus and antispyware protection will be
disabled for.
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Block network Personal firewall will block all outgoing / incoming network and internet traffic.
Temporarily disable firewall Switches the firewall to an inactive state. See the chapter System integration of
Personal firewall for more information.
Advanced setup... Select this option to enter the Advanced setup tree. There are also other ways to open
Advanced setup, such as pressing the F5 key or navigating to Setup > Enter advanced setup....
Log files Log files contain information about important program events that have occurred and provide an
overview of detected threats.
Reset window layout Resets the ESET Smart Security's window to its default size and position on the screen.
Activate your product... Select this option if you have not yet activated your ESET security product, or to reenter
product activation credentials after renewing your license.
About Provides system information, details about the installed version of ESET Smart Security and the installed
program modules. Here you can also find the license expiration date and information about the operating system
and system resources.
Only scan Only Scan without cleaning with ESET Smart Security will be displayed in the context menu.
Only clean Only Scan with ESET Smart Security will be displayed in the context menu.
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5. Advanced user
Computer scan
Your preferred scan parameters can be saved for future scanning. We recommend that you create a different profile
(with various scan targets, scan methods and other parameters) for each regularly used scan.
To create a new profile, open the Advanced setup window (F5) and click Computer > Antivirus and antispyware >
On-demand computer scan > Profiles.... The Configuration profiles window includes the Selected profile drop-down
menu that lists existing scan profiles and the option to create a new one. To help you create a scan profile to fit your
needs, see the ThreatSense engine parameters setup section for a description of each parameter of the scan setup.
Example: Suppose that you want to create your own scan profile and the Smart scan configuration is partially
suitable, but you dont want to scan runtime packers or potentially unsafe applications and you also want to apply
Strict cleaning. In the Configuration profiles window, click Add.... Enter the name of your new profile in the Profile
name field and select Smart scan from the Copy settings from profile drop-down menu. Adjust the remaining
parameters to meet your requirements and save your new profile.
Update
The profile editor in the Update setup section allows users to create new update profiles. Create and use your own
custom profiles (other than the default My profile) only if your computer uses multiple means to connect to update
servers.
For example, a laptop that normally connects to a local server (Mirror) in the local network but downloads updates
directly from ESET update servers when disconnected from the local network (business trip) might use two profiles:
the first one for connecting to the local server; the other one for connecting to ESET servers. Once these profiles are
configured, navigate to Tools > Scheduler and edit the update task parameters. Designate one profile as primary and
the other as secondary.
Selected profile The currently used update profile. To change it, choose a profile from the drop-down menu.
Add... Create new update profiles.
The bottom part of the window lists existing profiles.
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TAB moves the cursor in a window
Esc closes the active dialog window
5.3 Diagnostics
Diagnostics provides application crash dumps of ESET processes (for example, ekrn). If an application crashes, a
dump will be generated. This can help developers to debug and fix various ESET Smart Security problems. Two dump
types are available:
Complete memory dump Records all the contents of system memory when the application stops unexpectedly.
A complete memory dump may contain data from processes that were running when the memory dump was
collected.
Minidump Records the smallest set of useful information that may help identify why the application crashed
unexpectedly. This kind of dump file can be useful when space is limited. However, because of the limited
information included, errors that were not directly caused by the thread that was running at the time of the
problem may not be discovered by an analysis of this file.
Select Do not generate memory dump (default) to disable this feature.
Target directory Directory where the dump during the crash will be generated. Click ... to open this directory
within a new Windows explorer window.
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5.5 Idle state detection
Idle state detection settings can be configured in Advanced setup under Tools > Idle state detection. These settings
specify a trigger for Idle-state scanning, when:
the screen saver is running,
the computer is locked,
a user logs off.
Use the check boxes for each respective state to enable or disable the different idle state detection triggers.
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5.6.2 User Interface and application usage
For clarity the main program window is divided into four major sections Program Controls located on the top of the
main program window, Navigation window to the left, the Description window to the right and the Details window
at the bottom of the main program window. The Log Status section lists the basic parameters of a log (filter used,
filter type, is the log a result of a comparison etc.).
File
By clicking File you can store your current system status for later investigation or open a previously stored log. For
publishing purposes we recommend that you generate a log Suitable for sending. In this form, the log omits
sensitive information (current user name, computer name, domain name, current user privileges, environment
variables, etc.).
NOTE: You may open previously stored ESET SysInspector reports by dragging and dropping them into the main
program window.
Tree
Enables you to expand or close all nodes and export selected sections to Service script.
List
Contains functions for easier navigation within the program and various other functions like finding information
online.
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Help
Contains information about the application and its functions.
Detail
This setting influences the information displayed in the main program window to make the information easier to
work with. In "Basic" mode, you have access to information used to find solutions for common problems in your
system. In the "Medium" mode, the program displays less used details. In "Full" mode, ESET SysInspector displays
all the information needed to solve very specific problems.
Filtering
Item filtering is best used to find suspicious files or registry entries in your system. By adjusting the slider, you can
filter items by their Risk Level. If the slider is set all the way to the left (Risk Level 1), then all items are displayed. By
moving the slider to the right, the program filters out all items less risky than current risk level and only display
items which are more suspicious than the displayed level. With the slider all the way to the right, the program
displays only known harmful items.
All items labeled as risk 6 to 9 can pose a security risk. If you are not using a security solution from ESET, we
recommend that you scan your system with ESET Online Scanner if ESET SysInspector has found any such item. ESET
Online Scanner is a free service.
NOTE: The Risk level of an item can be quickly determined by comparing the color of the item with the color on the
Risk Level slider.
Compare
When comparing two logs, you can choose to display all items, display only added items, display only removed
items or to display only replaced items.
Find
Search can be used to quickly find a specific item by its name or part of its name. The results of the search request
are displayed in the Description window.
Return
By clicking the back or forward arrows, you can return to previously displayed information in the Description
window. You can use the backspace and space keys instead of clicking back and forward.
Status section
Displays the current node in Navigation window.
Important: Items highlighted in red are unknown, which is why the program marks them as potentially dangerous. If
an item is in red, it does not automatically mean that you can delete the file. Before deleting, please make sure that
files are really dangerous or unnecessary.
Running processes
This node contains information about applications and processes running at the time of generating the log. In the
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Description window you may find additional details for each process such as dynamic libraries used by the process
and their location in the system, the name of the application's vendor and the risk level of the file.
The Detail window contains additional information for items selected in the Description window such as the file
size or its hash.
NOTE: An operating system is comprised of several important kernel components running constantly that provide
basic and vital functions for other user applications. In certain cases, such processes are displayed in the tool ESET
SysInspector with file path beginning with \??\. Those symbols provide pre-launch optimization for those
processes; they are safe for the system.
Network connections
The Description window contains a list of processes and applications communicating over the network using the
protocol selected in the Navigation window (TCP or UDP) along with the remote address where to which the
application is connected to. You can also check the IP addresses of DNS servers.
The Detail window contains additional information for items selected in the Description window such as the file
size or its hash.
Services
The Description window Contains a list of files registered as windows Services. You may check the way the service is
set to start along with specific details of the file in the Details window.
Drivers
A list of drivers installed in the system.
Critical files
The Description window displays content of critical files related to the Microsoft windows operating system.
System information
Contains detailed information about hardware and software along with information about set environmental
variables, user rights and system event logs.
File details
A list of important system files and files in the Program Files folder. Additional information specific for the files can
be found in the Description and Details windows.
About
Information about version of ESET SysInspector and the list of program modules.
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5.6.2.2.1 Keyboard shortcuts
Key shortcuts that can be used when working with the ESET SysInspector include:
File
Ctrl+O opens existing log
Ctrl+S saves created logs
Generate
Ctrl+G generates a standard computer status snapshot
Ctrl+H generates a computer status snapshot that may also log sensitive information
Item Filtering
1, O fine, risk level 1-9 items are displayed
2 fine, risk level 2-9 items are displayed
3 fine, risk level 3-9 items are displayed
4, U unknown, risk level 4-9 items are displayed
5 unknown, risk level 5-9 items are displayed
6 unknown, risk level 6-9 items are displayed
7, B risky, risk level 7-9 items are displayed
8 risky, risk level 8-9 items are displayed
9 risky, risk level 9 items are displayed
- decreases risk level
+ increases risk level
Ctrl+9 filtering mode, equal level or higher
Ctrl+0 filtering mode, equal level only
View
Ctrl+5 view by vendor, all vendors
Ctrl+6 view by vendor, only Microsoft
Ctrl+7 view by vendor, all other vendors
Ctrl+3 displays full detail
Ctrl+2 displays medium detail
Ctrl+1 basic display
BackSpace moves one step back
Space moves one step forward
Ctrl+W expands tree
Ctrl+Q collapses tree
Other controls
Ctrl+T goes to the original location of item after selecting in search results
Ctrl+P displays basic information about an item
Ctrl+A displays full information about an item
Ctrl+C copies the current item's tree
Ctrl+X copies items
Ctrl+B finds information about selected files on the Internet
Ctrl+L opens the folder where the selected file is located
Ctrl+R opens the corresponding entry in the registry editor
Ctrl+Z copies a path to a file (if the item is related to a file)
Ctrl+F switches to the search field
Ctrl+D closes search results
Ctrl+E run service script
Comparing
Ctrl+Alt+O opens original / comparative log
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Ctrl+Alt+R cancels comparison
Ctrl+Alt+1 displays all items
Ctrl+Alt+2 displays only added items, log will show items present in current log
Ctrl+Alt+3 displays only removed items, log will show items present in previous log
Ctrl+Alt+4 displays only replaced items (files inclusive)
Ctrl+Alt+5 displays only differences between logs
Ctrl+Alt+C displays comparison
Ctrl+Alt+N displays current log
Ctrl+Alt+P opens previous log
Miscellaneous
F1 view help
Alt+F4 close program
Alt+Shift+F4 close program without asking
Ctrl+I log statistics
5.6.2.3 Compare
The Compare feature allows the user to compare two existing logs. The outcome of this feature is a set of items not
common to both logs. It is suitable if you want to keep track of changes in the system, a helpful tool for detecting
malicious code.
After it is launched, the application creates a new log which is displayed in a new window. Click File > Save log to
save a log to a file. Log files can be opened and viewed at a later time. To open an existing log, click File > Open log.
In the main program window, ESET SysInspector always displays one log at a time.
The benefit of comparing two logs is that you can view a currently active log and a log saved in a file. To compare
logs, click File > Compare log and choose Select file. The selected log will be compared to the active one in the main
program windows. The comparative log will display only the differences between those two logs.
NOTE: If you compare two log files, click File > Save log to save it as a ZIP file; both files will be saved. If you open
this file later, the contained logs are automatically compared.
Next to the displayed items, ESET SysInspector shows symbols identifying differences between the compared logs.
Description of all symbols that can be displayed next to items:
new value, not present in the previous log
tree structure section contains new values
removed value, present in the previous log only
tree structure section contains removed values
value / file has been changed
tree structure section contains modified values / files
the risk level has decreased / it was higher in the previous log
the risk level has increased / it was lower in the previous log
The explanation section displayed in the left bottom corner describes all symbols and also displays the names of
logs which are being compared.
Any comparative log can be saved to a file and opened at a later time.
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Example
Generate and save a log, recording original information about the system, to a file named previous.xml. After
changes to the system have been made, open ESET SysInspector and allow it to generate a new log. Save it to a file
named current.xml.
In order to track changes between those two logs, click File > Compare logs. The program will create a comparative
log showing differences between the logs.
The same result can be achieved if you use the following command line option:
SysIsnpector.exe current.xml previous.xml
Examples
Usage:
Sysinspector.exe [load.xml] [/gen=save.xml] [/privacy] [/zip] [compareto.xml]
To load specific log directly into the browser, use: SysInspector.exe .\clientlog.xml
To generate log from the command line, use: SysInspector.exe /gen=.\mynewlog.xml
To generate log excluding sensitive information directly in a compressed file, use: SysInspector.exe /gen=.
\mynewlog.zip /privacy /zip
To compare two log files and browse differences, use: SysInspector.exe new.xml old.xml
NOTE: If the name of the file/folder contains a gap, then should be taken into inverted commas.
Example
If you suspect that your computer is infected by a virus which is not detected by your antivirus program, follow the
step-by-step instructions below:
1. Run ESET SysInspector to generate a new system snapshot.
2. Select the first item in the section on the left (in the tree structure), press Shift and select the last item to mark
all items.
3. Right click the selected objects and select Export Selected Sections To Service Script.
4. The selected objects will be exported to a new log.
5. This is the most crucial step of the entire procedure: open the new log and change the attribute to + for all
objects you want to remove. Please make sure you do not mark any important operating system files/objects.
6. Open ESET SysInspector, click File > Run Service Script and enter the path to your script.
7. Click OK to run the script.
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5.6.4.1 Generating Service script
To generate a script, right-click any item from the menu tree (in the left pane) in the ESET SysInspector main
window. From the context menu, select either Export All Sections To Service Script or Export Selected Sections To
Service Script.
NOTE: It is not possible to export the service script when two logs are being compared.
In this example a process, module32.exe, was selected (marked by a + character); the process will end upon
execution of the script.
In this example the module khbekhb.dll was marked by a +. When the script runs, it will recognize the processes
using that specific module and end them.
When the script runs, it will locate the owner of the socket in the marked TCP connections and stop the socket,
freeing system resources.
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04) UDP endpoints
This section contains information about existing UDP endpoints.
Example:
04) UDP endpoints:
- 0.0.0.0, port 123 (ntp)
+ 0.0.0.0, port 3702
- 0.0.0.0, port 4500 (ipsec-msft)
- 0.0.0.0, port 500 (isakmp)
[...]
When the script runs, it will isolate the owner of the socket at the marked UDP endpoints and stop the socket.
Marked DNS server entries will be removed when you run the script.
The marked entries will be deleted, reduced to 0-byte values or reset to their default values upon script execution.
The action to be applied to a particular entry depends on the entry category and key value in the specific registry.
07) Services
This section lists services registered within the system.
Example:
07) Services:
- Name: Andrea ADI Filters Service, exe path: c:\windows\system32\aeadisrv.exe, state: Running,
startup: Automatic
- Name: Application Experience Service, exe path: c:\windows\system32\aelupsvc.dll, state: Running,
startup: Automatic
- Name: Application Layer Gateway Service, exe path: c:\windows\system32\alg.exe, state: Stopped,
startup: Manual
[...]
The services marked and their dependent services will be stopped and uninstalled when the script is executed.
08) Drivers
This section lists installed drivers.
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Example:
08) Drivers:
- Name: Microsoft ACPI Driver, exe path: c:\windows\system32\drivers\acpi.sys, state: Running,
startup: Boot
- Name: ADI UAA Function Driver for High Definition Audio Service, exe path: c:\windows\system32
\drivers\adihdaud.sys, state: Running, startup: Manual
[...]
When you execute the script, the drivers selected will be stopped. Note that some drivers won't allow themselves
to be stopped.
The selected items will either be deleted or reset to their original values.
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5.6.5 FAQ
Does ESET SysInspector require Administrator privileges to run ?
While ESET SysInspector does not require Administrator privileges to run, some of the information it collects can
only be accessed from an Administrator account. Running it as a Standard User or a Restricted User will result in it
collecting less information about your operating environment.
Is a specification available for the log file format? What about an SDK ?
At the current time, neither a specification for the log file or an SDK are available since the program is still in
development. After the program has been released, we may provide these based on customer feedback and
demand.
How does ESET SysInspector evaluate the risk posed by a particular object ?
In most cases, ESET SysInspector assigns risk levels to objects (files, processes, registry keys and so forth) using a
series of heuristic rules that examine the characteristics of each object and then weight the potential for malicious
activity. Based on these heuristics, objects are assigned a risk level from 1 - Fine (green) to 9 - Risky (red). In the left
navigation pane, sections are colored based on the highest risk level of an object inside them.
Why are there sometimes files marked as "Signed by MS", having a different "Company Name" entry at the same
time ?
When trying to identify the digital signature of an executable, ESET SysInspector first checks for a digital signature
embedded in the file. If a digital signature is found, the file will be validated using that information. If a digital
signature is not found, the ESI starts looking for the corresponding CAT file (Security Catalog - %systemroot%
\system32\catroot) that contains information about the executable file processed. If the relevant CAT file is found,
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the digital signature of that CAT file will be applied in the validation process of the executable.
This is why there are sometimes files marked as "Signed by MS", but having a different "CompanyName" entry.
Example:
Windows 2000 includes the HyperTerminal application located in C:\Program Files\Windows NT. The main
application executable file is not digitally signed, but ESET SysInspector marks it as a file signed by Microsoft. The
reason for this is a reference in C:\WINNT\system32\CatRoot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}\sp4.cat
pointing to C:\Program Files\Windows NT\hypertrm.exe (the main executable of the HyperTerminal application)
and sp4.cat is digitally signed by Microsoft.
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Windows ADK supports:
Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows Vista Service Pack 1
Windows Vista Service Pack 2
Note: ESET SysRescue may not be available for Windows 8 in older versions of ESET security products. In this case we
recommend that you upgrade your product or create an ESET SysRescue disk on another version of Microsoft
Windows.
5.7.4 Settings
Before initiating ESET SysRescue creation, the install wizard displays compilation parameters. These can be
modified by clicking the Change... button. The available options include:
Folders
ESET Antivirus
Advanced
Internet protocol
Bootable USB device (when the target USB device is selected)
Burning (when the target CD/DVD drive is selected)
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The Create option is inactive if no MSI installation package is specified, or if no ESET Security solution is installed on
the computer. To select an installation package, click Change and click the ESET Antivirus tab. Also, if you do not fill
in username and password (Change > ESET Antivirus), the Create option is greyed out.
5.7.4.1 Folders
Temporary folder is a working directory for files required during ESET SysRescue compilation.
ISO folder is a folder, where the resulting ISO file is saved after the compilation is completed.
The list on this tab shows all local and mapped network drives together with the available free space. If some of the
folders here are located on a drive with insufficient free space, we recommend that you select another drive with
more free space available. Otherwise compilation may end prematurely due to insufficient free disk space.
External applications Allows you to specify additional programs that will be run or installed after booting from a
ESET SysRescue medium.
Include external applications Allows you to add external programs to the ESET SysRescue compilation.
Selected folder Folder in which programs to be added to the ESET SysRescue disk are located.
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5.7.4.4 Internet protocol
This section allows you to configure basic network information and set up predefined connections after running
ESET SysRescue.
Select Automatic private IP address to obtain the IP address automatically from DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol) server.
Alternatively, this network connection can use a manually specified IP address (also known as a static IP address).
Select Custom to configure the appropriate IP settings. If you select this option, you must specify an IP address and,
for LAN and high-speed Internet connections, a Subnet mask. In Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server,
type the primary and secondary DNS server addresses.
5.7.4.6 Burn
If you have selected CD/DVD as your target medium, you can specify additional burning parameters in the Burn tab.
Delete ISO file Select to delete the temporary ISO file after the ESET SysRescue CD is created.
Deletion enabled Enables you to select fast erasing and complete erasing.
Burning device Select the drive to be used for burning.
Warning: This is the default option. If a rewritable CD/DVD is used, all the data on the CD/DVD will be erased.
The Medium section contains information about the medium in your CD/DVD device.
Burning speed Select the desired speed from the drop-down menu. The capabilities of your burning device and
the type of CD/DVD used should be considered when selecting the burning speed.
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5.7.5.1 Using ESET SysRescue
Suppose that computers in the network have been infected by a virus which modifies executable (.exe) files. ESET
Security solution is capable of cleaning all infected files except for explorer.exe, which cannot be cleaned, even in
Safe mode. This is because explorer.exe, as one of the essential Windows processes, is launched in Safe mode as
well. ESET Security solution would not be able to perform any action with the file and it would remain infected.
In this type of scenario, you could use ESET SysRescue to solve the problem. ESET SysRescue does not require any
component of the host operating system, and is therefore capable of processing (cleaning, deleting) any file on the
disk.
The following parameters and switches can be used while running the on-demand scanner from the command line:
Options
/base-dir=FOLDER load modules from FOLDER
/quar-dir=FOLDER quarantine FOLDER
/exclude=MASK exclude files matching MASK from scanning
/subdir scan subfolders (default)
/no-subdir do not scan subfolders
/max-subdir-level=LEVEL maximum sub-level of folders within folders to scan
/symlink follow symbolic links (default)
/no-symlink skip symbolic links
/ads scan ADS (default)
/no-ads do not scan ADS
/log-file=FILE log output to FILE
/log-rewrite overwrite output file (default append)
/log-console log output to console (default)
/no-log-console do not log output to console
/log-all also log clean files
/no-log-all do not log clean files (default)
/aind show activity indicator
/auto scan and automatically clean all local disks
Scanner options
/files scan files (default)
/no-files do not scan files
/memory scan memory
/boots scan boot sectors
/no-boots do not scan boot sectors (default)
/arch scan archives (default)
/no-arch do not scan archives
/max-obj-size=SIZE only scan files smaller than SIZE megabytes (default 0 = unlimited)
/max-arch-level=LEVEL maximum sub-level of archives within archives (nested archives) to scan
/scan-timeout=LIMIT scan archives for LIMIT seconds at maximum
/max-arch-size=SIZE only scan the files in an archive if they are smaller than SIZE (default 0 = unlimited)
/max-sfx-size=SIZE only scan the files in a self-extracting archive if they are smaller than SIZE megabytes
(default 0 = unlimited)
/mail scan email files (default)
/no-mail do not scan email files
/mailbox scan mailboxes (default)
/no-mailbox do not scan mailboxes
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/sfx scan self-extracting archives (default)
/no-sfx do not scan self-extracting archives
/rtp scan runtime packers (default)
/no-rtp do not scan runtime packers
/unsafe scan for potentially unsafe applications
/no-unsafe do not scan for potentially unsafe applications (default)
/unwanted scan for potentially unwanted applications
/no-unwanted do not scan for potentially unwanted applications (default)
/suspicious scan for suspicious applications (default)
/no-suspicious do not scan for suspicious applications
/pattern use signatures (default)
/no-pattern do not use signatures
/heur enable heuristics (default)
/no-heur disable heuristics
/adv-heur enable Advanced heuristics (default)
/no-adv-heur disable Advanced heuristics
/ext=EXTENSIONS scan only EXTENSIONS delimited by colon
/ext-exclude=EXTENSIONS exclude EXTENSIONS delimited by colon from scanning
/clean-mode=MODE use cleaning MODE for infected objects
General options
/help show help and quit
/version show version information and quit
/preserve-time preserve last access timestamp
Exit codes
0 no threat found
1 threat found and cleaned
10 some files could not be scanned (may be threats)
50 threat found
100 error
NOTE: Exit codes greater than 100 mean that the file was not scanned and thus can be infected.
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6. Glossary
6.1.1 Viruses
A computer virus is a piece of malicious code that is pre-pended or appended to existing files on your computer.
Viruses are named after biological viruses because they use similar techniques to spread from one computer to
another. As for the term virus, it is often used incorrectly to mean any type of a threat. This usage is gradually
being overcome and replaced with a more accurate term malware (malicious software).
Computer viruses mainly attack executable files and documents. In short, this is how a computer virus works: after
execution of an infected file, the malicious code is called and executed prior to the execution of the original
application. A virus can infect any files that the current user has write permissions for.
Computer viruses can range in purpose and severity. Some of them are extremely dangerous because of their ability
to purposely delete files from a hard drive. On the other hand, some viruses do not cause any damage they only
serve to annoy the user and demonstrate the technical skills of their authors.
If your computer is infected with a virus and cleaning is not possible, submit it to the ESET lab for perusal. In certain
cases infected files can be modified to such an extent that cleaning is not possible and the files must be replaced
with a clean copy.
6.1.2 Worms
A computer worm is a program containing malicious code that attacks host computers and spreads via network. The
basic difference between a virus and a worm is that worms have the ability to propagate by themselves; they are
not dependant on host files (or boot sectors). Worms spread to email addresses in your contact list or exploit
security vulnerabilities in network applications.
Worms are therefore much more viable than computer viruses. Due to the wide availability of the Internet, they can
spread across the globe within hours or even minutes after their release. This ability to replicate independently and
rapidly makes them more dangerous than other types of malware.
A worm activated in a system can cause a number of inconveniences: It can delete files, degrade system
performance, or even deactivate programs. The nature of a computer worm qualifies it as a means of transport for
other types of infiltrations.
If your computer is infected with a worm, we recommend you delete the infected files because they likely contain
malicious code.
6.1.3 Trojans
Historically, computer Trojans (Trojan horses) have been defined as a class of threats which attempt to present
themselves as useful programs and thus trick users into running them.
Since Trojans are a very broad category, it is often divided into several subcategories:
Downloader Malicious programs with the ability to download other threats from the Internet.
Dropper Malicious programs with the ability to drop other types of malware onto compromised computers.
Backdoor Malicious programs which communicate with remote attackers, allowing them to gain access to the
computer and take control over it.
Keylogger (keystroke logger) A program which records each keystroke that a user types and sends the
information to remote attackers.
Dialer Malicious programs designed to connect via premium-rate numbers instead of the user's Internet service
provider. It is almost impossible for a user to notice that a new connection was created. Dialers can only cause
damage to users with dial-up modems, which are no longer regularly used.
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If a file on your computer is detected as a Trojan, it is advisable to delete it, since it most likely contains nothing but
malicious code.
6.1.4 Rootkits
Rootkits are malicious programs that grant Internet attackers unlimited access to a system, while concealing their
presence. Rootkits, after accessing a system (usually exploiting a system vulnerability), use functions in the
operating system to avoid detection by antivirus software: they conceal processes, files and Windows registry data.
For this reason, it is almost impossible to detect them using ordinary testing techniques.
There are two levels of detection to prevent rootkits:
1. When they try to access a system: They are still not present, and are therefore inactive. Most antivirus systems
are able to eliminate rootkits at this level (assuming that they actually detect such files as being infected).
2. When they are hidden from the usual testing: ESET Smart Security users have the advantage of Anti-Stealth
technology, which is also able to detect and eliminate active rootkits.
6.1.5 Adware
Adware is a short for advertising-supported software. Programs displaying advertising material fall under this
category. Adware applications often automatically open a new pop-up window containing advertisements in an
Internet browser, or change the browsers home page. Adware is frequently bundled with freeware programs,
allowing their creators to cover development costs of their (usually useful) applications.
Adware itself is not dangerous users will only be bothered with advertisements. Its danger lies in the fact that
adware may also perform tracking functions (as spyware does).
If you decide to use a freeware product, please pay particular attention to the installation program. The installer will
most likely notify you of the installation of an extra adware program. Often you will be allowed to cancel it and
install the program without adware.
Some programs will not install without adware, or their functionality will be limited. This means that adware may
often access the system in a legal way, because users have agreed to it. In this case, it is better to be safe than
sorry.If there is a file detected as adware on your computer, it is advisable to delete it, since there is a high
probability that it contains malicious code.
6.1.6 Spyware
This category covers all applications which send private information without user consent/awareness. Spyware uses
tracking functions to send various statistical data such as a list of visited websites, email addresses from the users
contact list, or a list of recorded keystrokes.
The authors of spyware claim that these techniques aim to find out more about users needs and interests and allow
better-targeted advertisement. The problem is that there is no clear distinction between useful and malicious
applications and no one can be sure that the retrieved information will not be misused. The data obtained by
spyware applications may contain security codes, PINs, bank account numbers, etc. Spyware is often bundled with
free versions of a program by its author in order to generate revenue or to offer an incentive for purchasing the
software. Often, users are informed of the presence of spyware during a programs installation to give them an
incentive to upgrade to a paid version without it.
Examples of well-known freeware products which come bundled with spyware are client applications of P2P (peer-
to-peer) networks. Spyfalcon or Spy Sheriff (and many more) belong to a specific spyware subcategory they
appear to be antispyware programs, but in fact they are spyware programs themselves.
If a file is detected as spyware on your computer, it is advisable to delete it, since there is a high probability that it
contains malicious code.
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6.1.7 Packers
Packer is a runtime self-extracting executable that rolls up several kinds of malware into a single package.
The most common packers are UPX, PE_Compact, PKLite and ASPack. The same malware may be detected
differently when compressed using a different packer. Packers also have the ability to make their "signatures"
mutate over time, making malware more difficult to detect and remove.
6.1.10 Botnet
A bot, or a web robot is an automated malware program that scans blocks of network addresses and infects
vulnerable computers. This allow hackers to take control of many computers at the same time and turn them into
bots (also known as a zombie). Hackers typically use bots to infect large numbers of computers, which form a
network or a botnet. Once the botnet is in your computer, it can be used in distributed denial of service (DDoS)
attacks, proxy and also can be used to perform automated tasks over the Internet, without you knowing it (for
example sending spam, viruses or stealing personal and private information such as bank credentials or credit card
numbers).
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6.2.1 DoS attacks
DoS, or Denial of Service, is an attempt to make a computer or network unavailable for its intended users. The
communication between afflicted users is obstructed and can no longer continue in a functional way. Computers
exposed to DoS attacks usually need to be restarted in order to work properly.
In most cases, the targets are web servers and the aim is to make them unavailable to users for a certain period of
time.
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6.2.6 SMB Relay
SMB Relay and SMB Relay 2 are special programs that are capable of carrying out attacks against remote computers.
The programs take advantage of the Server Message Block file sharing protocol, which is layered onto NetBIOS. A
user sharing any folder or directory within the LAN most likely uses this file sharing protocol.
Within local network communication, password hashes are exchanged.
SMB Relay receives a connection on UDP port 139 and 445, relays the packets exchanged by the client and server,
and modifies them. After connecting and authenticating, the client is disconnected. SMB Relay creates a new virtual
IP address. The new address can be accessed using the command net use \\192.168.1.1. The address can then be
used by any of the Windows networking functions. SMB Relay relays SMB protocol communication except for
negotiation and authentication. Remote attackers can use the IP address, as long as the client computer is
connected.
SMB Relay 2 works on the same principle as SMB Relay, except it uses NetBIOS names rather than IP addresses. Both
can carry out man-in-the-middle attacks. These attacks allow remote attackers to read, insert and modify
messages exchanged between two communication endpoints without being noticed. Computers exposed to such
attacks often stop responding or restart unexpectedly.
To avoid attacks, we recommend that you use authentication passwords or keys.
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6.3.3 Vulnerability Shield
Vulnerability shield is an extension of the Personal firewall that improves the detection of known vulnerabilities on
the network level. By implementing detections for common vulnerabilities in widely used protocols such as SMB,
RPC and RDP, it constitutes another important layer of protection against spreading malware, network-conducted
attacks and exploitations of vulnerabilities for which a patch has yet not been released or deployed.
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6.4 Email
Email, or electronic mail, is a modern form of communication with many advantages. It is flexible, fast and direct,
and played a crucial role in the proliferation of the Internet in the early 1990s.
Unfortunately, with a high level of anonymity, email and the Internet leave room for illegal activities such as
spamming. Spam includes unsolicited advertisements, hoaxes and proliferation of malicious software malware.
The inconvenience and danger to you is increased by the fact that the cost of sending spam is minimal, and authors
of spam have many tools to acquire new email addresses. In addition, the volume and variety of spam makes it very
difficult to regulate. The longer you use your email address, the more likely it will end up in a spam engine
database. Some hints for prevention:
If possible, dont publish your email address on the Internet
Only give your email address to trusted individuals
If possible, dont use common aliases with more complicated aliases, the probability of tracking is lower
Dont reply to spam that has already arrived in your inbox
Be careful when filling out Internet forms be especially cautious of options such as Yes, I want to receive
information.
Use specialized email addresses e.g., one for business, one for communication with your friends, etc.
From time to time, change your email address
Use an Antispam solution
6.4.1 Advertisements
Internet advertising is one of the most rapidly growing forms of advertising. Its main marketing advantages are
minimal costs and a high level of directness; whats more, messages are delivered almost immediately. Many
companies use email marketing tools to effectively communicate with current and prospective customers.
This type of advertising is legitimate, since you may be interested in receiving commercial information about some
products. But many companies send unsolicited bulk commercial messages. In such cases, email advertising crosses
the line and becomes spam.
The amount of unsolicited email has become a problem and it shows no signs of slowing. Authors of unsolicited
email often attempt to disguise spam as legitimate messages.
6.4.2 Hoaxes
A hoax is misinformation which is spread across the Internet. Hoaxes are usually sent via email or communication
tools like ICQ and Skype. The message itself is often a joke or Urban Legend.
Computer Virus hoaxes try to generate fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) in the recipients, bringing them to believe
that there is an undetectable virus deleting files and retrieving passwords, or performing some other harmful
activity on their system.
Some hoaxes work by asking recipients to forward messages to their contacts, perpetuating the hoax. There are
mobile phone hoaxes, pleas for help, people offering to send you money from abroad, etc. It is often impossible to
determine the intent of the creator.
If you see a message prompting you to forward it to everyone you know, it may very well be a hoax. There are many
websites on the Internet that can verify if an email is legitimate. Before forwarding, perform an Internet search on
any message you suspect is a hoax.
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6.4.3 Phishing
The term phishing defines a criminal activity which uses techniques of social engineering (manipulating users in
order to obtain confidential information). Its aim is to gain access to sensitive data such as bank account numbers,
PIN codes, etc.
Access is usually achieved by sending email masquerading as a trustworthy person or business (e.g., financial
institution, insurance company). The email can look very genuine, and will contain graphics and content which may
have originally come from the source it is impersonating. You will be asked to enter, under various pretenses (data
verification, financial operations), some of your personal data bank account numbers or usernames and
passwords. All such data, if submitted, can easily be stolen and misused.
Banks, insurance companies, and other legitimate companies will never request usernames and passwords in an
unsolicited email.
6.4.4.1 Rules
In the context of Antispam solutions and email clients, rules are tools for manipulating email functions. They consist
of two logical parts:
1. Condition (e.g., an incoming message from a certain address)
2. Action (e.g., deletion of the message, moving it to a specified folder)
The number and combination of rules varies with the Antispam solution. These rules serve as measures against
spam (unsolicited email). Typical examples:
1. Condition: An incoming email message contains some of the words typically seen in spam messages
2. Action: Delete the message
1. Condition: An incoming email message contains an attachment with an .exe extension
2. Action: Delete the attachment and deliver the message to the mailbox
1. Condition: An incoming email message arrives from your employer
2. Action: Move the message to the Work folder
We recommend that you use a combination of rules in Antispam programs in order to facilitate administration and
to more effectively filter spam.
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6.4.4.2 Whitelist
In general, a whitelist is a list of items or persons who are accepted, or have been granted permission. The term
email whitelist defines a list of contacts from whom the user wishes to receive messages. Such whitelists are
based on keywords searched for in email addresses, domain names, or IP addresses.
If a whitelist works in exclusivity mode, then messages from any other address, domain, or IP address will not be
received. If a whitelist is not exclusive, such messages will not be deleted, but filtered in some other way.
A whitelist is based on the opposite principle to that of a blacklist. Whitelists are relatively easy to maintain, more
so than blacklists. We recommend that you use both the Whitelist and Blacklist to filter spam more effectively.
6.4.4.3 Blacklist
Generally, a blacklist is a list of unaccepted or forbidden items or persons. In the virtual world, it is a technique
enabling acceptance of messages from all users not present on such a list.
There are two types of blacklist: Those created by users within their Antispam application, and professional,
regularly updated blacklists which are created by specialized institutions and can be found on the Internet.
It is essential to use blacklists to successfully block spam, but they are difficult to maintain, since new items to be
blocked appear every day. We recommended you use both a whitelist and a blacklist to most effectively filter spam.
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