ESET Endpoint Security Userguide
ESET Endpoint Security Userguide
ESET Endpoint Security Userguide
User Guide
1.2 Prevention
When you work with your computer, and especially when you browse the Internet, please keep in my mind that no
antivirus system in the world can completely eliminate the risk caused by infiltrations and attacks. To provide maximum
protection and convenience, it is essential to use the antivirus system 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
ESET’s Virus Lab analyze those threats on a daily basis and prepare and release updates in order to continually
improve the level of protection for users of the antivirus program. An incorrectly configured update decreases the
effectiveness of the program. For more information on how to configure updates, see the Update setup chapter.
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Regularly scan your computer for viruses
A regular automatic scan of your computer with the proper settings can remove infiltrations that may have been
missed due to old virus signature updates.
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2. Installation
Once you launch the installer, the installation wizard will guide you through the setup process.
Important: Make sure that no other antivirus programs are installed on your computer. 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 knowledgebase article for a list of uninstaller tools for common antivirus
software (available in English and several other languages).
First, the program checks if a newer version of ESET Endpoint Security is available. If a newer version is found, you
will be notified in the first step of the installation process. If you select the Download and install new version option, the
new version will be downloaded and the installation will continue. In the next step the End-User License Agreement will
be displayed. Please read and click Accept to acknowledge your acceptance of the End-User License Agreement. After
you accept the installation will continue in two possible scenarios:
1. If you are installing ESET Endpoint Security on a computer for the first time, you will see the window below, after you
accept the End-User License Agreement. Here, you can choose between a Typical installation and a Custom
installation and continue accordingly.
2. If you are installing ESET Endpoint Security over a previous version of this software, the following window lets you
choose to either use your current program settings for your new installation; or, if you uncheck the Use current
settings option, choose between the two aforementioned installation modes.
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2.1 Typical installation
Typical installation mode provides configuration options appropriate for most users. These settings provide excellent
security, easy setup and high system performance. Typical installation mode is the default option and is recommended
if you do not have the particular requirements for specific settings.
After selecting the installation mode and clicking Next, you will be prompted to enter your username and password for
automatic updates of the program. This plays a significant role in providing constant protection of your system.
Enter your Username and Password, i.e., the authentication data you received after the purchase or registration of the
product, into the corresponding fields. If you do not currently have your username and password available, click the Set
update parameters later checkbox. Your username and password can be entered into the program itself at a later time.
The next step is configuration of the ESET Live Grid. The ESET Live Grid helps to ensure that ESET is immediately and
continuously informed about new infiltrations in order to protect our customers. The system allows you to submit new
threats to ESET‘s Virus Lab, where they are analyzed, processed and added to the virus signature database.
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By default, the I agree to participate in ESET Live Grid option 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 often negatively affect the behavior of your operating
system. See the Potentially unwanted applications chapter for more details.
The final step in Typical installation mode is to confirm installation by clicking the Install button.
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2.2 Custom installation
Custom installation mode is designed for users who have experience with fine-tuning programs and who wish to
modify advanced settings during installation.
After selecting this installation mode and clicking Next, you will be prompted to select a destination location for the
installation. By default, the program installs to the following directory:
C:\Program Files\ESET\ESET Endpoint Security\
Click Browse… to change this location (not recommended).
Next, enter your Username and Password. This step is the same as in Typical installation (see “Typical installation”).
The next step in the installation process is to select the program components to be installed. By expanding the
component tree and selecting a feature, you will see three installation options. The Will be installed on local hard drive
option is selected by default. Selecting Entire feature will be installed on local hard drive will install all features under the
selected tree. If you do not wish to use a feature or a component, select Entire feature will be unavailable.
Click Next and proceed to configuring 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 I am unsure if my Internet connection uses a proxy server. Use the same settings as Internet Explorer
(Recommended) and click Next. If you do not use a proxy server, select the I do not use a proxy server option.
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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.
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This installation step allows you to designate how automatic program updates will be handled on your system. Click
Change... to access the advanced settings.
If you do not want program components to be updated, select the Never update program components option. Select the
Ask before downloading program components option to display a confirmation window each time the system attempts to
download program components. To download program component upgrades automatically, select the Always update
program components option.
NOTE: After a program component update, a restart is usually required. We recommend selecting the If necessary,
restart computer without notifying option.
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The next installation window offers the option to set a password to protect your program settings. Select the Protect
configuration settings with a password option and enter your password into the the New password and Confirm new
password fields. This password which will be required to change or access the settings of ESET Endpoint Security.
When both password fields match, click Next to continue.
The next installation steps, Automatic update, ESET Live Grid and Detection of potentially unwanted applications are
handled the same as in the Typical installation mode (see “Typical installation”).
Next, select a filtering mode for the ESET Personal firewall. Five filtering modes are available for the ESET
Endpoint Security Personal firewall. The behavior of the firewall changes based on the selected mode. Filtering
modes also influences the level of user interaction required.
Click Install in the Ready to install window to complete installation. After the installation is complete, you will be
prompted to activate your product. See Typical installation for more information about product activation.
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2.3 Entering username and password
For optimal functionality, it is important that the program is automatically updated. This is only possible if the correct
username and password are entered in the Update setup.
If you did not enter your username and password during installation, you can do so now. Press CTRL+U and enter the
license data you received with your ESET security product into the License details window.
When entering your Username and Password, it is important to type them exactly as they are written:
The username and password are case sensitive and the hyphen in the username is necessary.
The password is ten characters long and all lowercase.
We do not use the letter L in passwords (use the number one (1) instead).
A big '0' is the number zero (0), a little 'o' is the lowercase letter o.
We recommend copying and pasting the data from the registration email to ensure accuracy.
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2.5 Computer scan
After installing ESET Endpoint Security, you should perform a computer scan to check for malicious code. In the main
program window, click Computer scan and then click Smart scan. For more information about computer scans, see
section Computer scan.
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3. Beginner's guide
This chapter provides an initial overview of ESET Endpoint Security and its basic settings.
The Protection status screen informs you about the security and current protection level of your computer. The green
Maximum protection status indicates that maximum protection is ensured.
The status window also displays frequently used features in ESET Endpoint Security. Information about the program’s
expiration date can also be found here.
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3.2 What to do if the program doesn't work properly
If the modules enabled are working properly, they are assigned a green check. If not, a red exclamation point or orange
notification icon is displayed. Additional information about the module is shown in the upper part of the window. A
suggested solution for fixing the module is also displayed. To change the status of individual modules, click Setup in the
main menu and click on the desired module.
The red icon signals critical problems – maximum protection of your computer is not ensured. Possible reasons are:
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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 an ESET Customer Care support
request. ESET Customer Care will respond quickly to your questions and help find a resolution.
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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 in the Advanced setup tree on the left. The Update server
drop-down menu is set to Choose automatically by default. To configure advanced update options such as the update
mode, proxy server access, LAN connections and creating virus signature copies, click the Setup... button.
If this information is not available, you can try to automatically detect proxy server settings by clicking the Detect
proxy server button.
NOTE: Proxy server options for various update profiles may differ. If this is the case, configure the different update
profiles in Advanced setup by clicking Update in the Advanced setup tree.
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3.5 Settings protection
ESET Endpoint Security settings can be very important from the perspective of your security policy. Unauthorized
modifications can potentially endanger the stability and protection of your system. To password protect setup
parameters, from the main menu click Setup > Enter advanced setup... > User interface > Access setup, select the
Password protect settings option and click the Set password... button.
Enter a password into the New password and Confirm new password fields and click OK. This password will be
required for any future modifications to ESET Endpoint Security settings.
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3.6 Trusted zone setup
It is necessary to configure the Trusted zone to protect your computer in a network environment. You can allow other
users to access your computer by configuring the Trusted zone to allow sharing. Click Setup > Network > Change the
protection mode of your computer in the network.... A window will display options allowing you to choose the desired
protection mode of your computer in the network.
Trusted zone detection occurs after ESET Endpoint Security installation and whenever your computer connects to a
new network.Therefore, there is usually no need to define the Trusted zone. By default, a dialog window is displayed
upon detection of a new zone which allows you to set the protection level for that zone.
Warning: An incorrect trusted zone configuration may pose a security risk to your computer.
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.
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4. Work with ESET Endpoint Security
The ESET Endpoint Security setup options allow you to adjust the protection levels of your computer and network.
Computer
Network
Web and Email
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.
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.
Device control – This module allows you to scan, block or adjust extended filters/permissions and select how the
user can access and work with a given device (CD/DVD/USB...).
HIPS – The HIPS system monitors the events within the operating system and reacts to them according to a
customized set of rules.
Presentation mode – Enables or disables the Presentation mode. You will receive a warning message (potential
security risk) and the main window will turn orange after enabling Presentation mode.
Anti-Stealth protection – Provides detection of dangerous programs, such as rootkits, which are able to hide
themselves from the operating system. This means it is not possible to detect them using ordinary testing
techniques.
The Network section allows you to enable or disable the Personal firewall.
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The 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 the POP3 and IMAP protocol.
Antispam protection – Scans unsolicited email, i.e., spam.
Web control – Blocks webpages that may contain potentially offensive material. In addition, employers or system
administrators can prohibit access to up to 27 pre-defined website categories.
NOTE: Document protection will display after enabling the option (Enter advanced setup... (F5) > Computer >
Antivirus and antispyware > Document protection > Integrate into system).
After clicking Enabled, the Temporary disable protection dialog box will display. Click OK to disable the selected
security component. The Time interval drop-down menu represents the period of time that the selected component will
be disabled.
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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 Disable below the desired module. Note that this
may decrease the protection 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.
Temporary disable protection dialog box with Time interval drop-down menu will display. A Time interval drop-down
menu represents the period of time that the protection will be disabled. Click OK to confirm.
Computer scan setup... – Click to adjust the parameters of the on-demand scanner (manually executed scan).
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database update. This behavior is configured using Smart optimization. If this is disabled, all files are scanned each
time they are accessed. To modify this option, press F5 to open the Advanced setup window and click Computer >
Antivirus and antispyware > Real-time file system protection in the Advanced setup tree. Then click the Setup...
button next to ThreatSense engine parameter setup, click Other and select or deselect the Enable Smart
optimization option.
By default, Real-time file system protection launches at system startup and provides uninterrupted scanning. In special
cases (e.g., if there is a conflict with another real-time scanner), the real-time protection can be terminated by
deselecting the Start Real-time file system protection automatically option.
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4.1.1.1.3 Advanced scan options
More detailed setup options can be found under Computer > Antivirus and antispyware > Real-time system
protection > Advanced setup.
Additional ThreatSense parameters for newly created and modified files – The probability of infection in newly-created or
modified files is comparatively higher than in existing files. For this reason, the program checks these files with additional
scanning parameters. Along with common signature-based scanning methods, advanced heuristics are used, which
greatly improves detection rates because heuristics can detect new threats before the virus signature database update is
released. In addition to newly-created files, scanning is also performed on self-extracting files (.sfx) and runtime packers
(internally compressed executable files). By default, archives are scanned up to the 10th nesting level and are checked
regardless of their actual size. To modify archive scan settings, deselect the Default archive scan settings option.
Additional ThreatSense parameters for executed files – By default, advanced heuristics are not used when files are
executed. However, in some cases you may want to enable this option (by checking the Advanced heuristics on file
execution option). Note that advanced heuristics may slow the execution of some programs due to increased system
requirements. While the Advanced heuristics on executing files from external devices option is enabled, 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. From here, you can customize the settings by
selecting or deselecting the checkboxes that represent each port.
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4.1.1.1.5 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. For example, if there is
a conflict with a certain application or real-time scanner of another antivirus program.
After installating ESET Endpoint Security, all settings are optimized to provide the maximum level of system security for
users. To restore the default settings, click the Default button located 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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4.1.1.3 Computer scan
The on-demand scanner is an important part of your antivirus solution. It is used to perform scans of files and folders on
your computer. From a security point of view, it is essential that computer scans are not just run when an infection is
suspected, but regularly as part of routine security measures. We recommend that you perform regular in-depth scans of
your system to detect viruses which were not captured by the Real-time file system protection when they were written to
the disk.This can happen if the Real-time file system protection was disabled at the time, the virus database was obsolete
or the file was not detected as a virus when it was saved to the disk.
Two types of Computer scan are available. Smart scan quickly scans the system with no need for further configuration of
the scan parameters. Custom scan allows you to select any of the predefined scan profiles, as well as choose specific
scan targets.
See the Scan progress chapter 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.
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4.1.1.3.1.2 Custom scan
Custom scan is an optimal solution if you wish to 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.
To select scan targets, select Computer scan > Custom scan and select an option from the Scan targets drop-down
menu or select specific targets from the tree structure. A scan target can also be specified by entering the path of the
folder or file(s) you wish to include. If you are only interested in scanning the system without additional cleaning
actions, select the Scan without cleaning option. Furthermore, you can choose from three cleaning levels by clicking
Setup... > Cleaning.
Performing computer scans with Custom scan is suitable for advanced users with previous experience using antivirus
programs.
To quickly navigate to a scan target or to directly add a desired target, enter it in the blank field below the folder list.
This is only possible if no targets were selected in the tree structure and the Scan targets menu is set to No selection.
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4.1.1.3.4 Scan progress
The scan progress window shows the current status of the scan and information about the number of files found that
contain malicious code.
NOTE: It is normal that some files, such as password protected files or files exclusively being used by the system
(typically pagefile.sys and certain log files), cannot be scanned.
Scan progress – The progress bar shows the percentage of already-scanned objects compared to objects still waiting
be scanned. The value is derived from the total number of objects included in scanning.
Target – The name of the currently scanned object and its location.
Number of threats – Shows the total number of threats found during a scan.
Pause – Pauses a scan.
Resume – This option is visible when scan progress is paused. Click Resume to continue scanning.
Stop – Terminates the scan.
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To background – You can run another parallel scan. The running scan will be minimized to the background.
Click Bring to foreground to bring a scan to the foreground and return to the scanning process.
Scroll scan log – If enabled, the scan log will scroll down automatically as new entries are added so that the most
recent entries are visible.
Enable shutdown after scan – Enables a scheduled shutdown when the on-demand computer scan finishes. A
shutdown confirmation dialog window will open with a 60 second timeout. Click Cancel if you wish to deactivate the
requested shutdown.
Files run before user logon – Contains files from locations that allow running these files without the user being
logged in (includes almost all startup locations such as services, browser helper objects, winlogon notify, Windows
scheduler entries, known dlls, etc.).
Files run after user logon Contains files from locations, that allow running them only after a user has logged in
(includes files that are only run for specific user, typically files in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run)
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Lists of files to be scanned are fixed for each group.
Scan priority – A level of priority to use for the scan start:
You can use wildcards to cover a group of files. A question mark (?) represents a single variable character whereas
an asterisk (*) represents a variable string of zero or more characters.
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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.
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.
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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 known by the previous virus signatures database. The
disadvantage is a (very small) probability of false alarms.
Advanced heuristics/DNA/Smart signatures – Advanced heuristics consist of a unique heuristic algorithm developed by
ESET, optimized for detecting computer worms and trojan horses and written in high level programming languages.
Thanks to advanced heuristics, the detecting capabilities of the program are significantly higher. Signatures can reliably
detect and identify viruses. Utilizing the automatic update system, new signatures are available within a few hours of a
threat discovery. The disadvantage of signatures is that they only detect viruses they know (or their slightly modified
versions).
Potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) are not necessarily intended to be malicious, but may affect the performance
of your computer in a negative way. Such applications usually require consent for installation. If they are present on
your computer, your system behaves differently (compared to the state before their installation). The most significant
changes are:
New windows you haven’t seen previously (pop-ups, ads),
Activating and running of hidden processes,
Increased usage of system resources,
Changes in search results,
Application communicates with remote servers.
Potentially unsafe applications – Potentially unsafe applications is the classification used for commercial, legitimate
software. It includes programs such as remote access tools, password-cracking applications, and keyloggers (programs
recording each keystroke typed by a user). This option is disabled by default.
ESET Live Grid – Thanks to ESET's 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:
No cleaning – Infected files will not be cleaned automatically. The program will display a warning window and allow the
user to choose an action. This level is designed for more advanced users who know which steps to take in the event of
an infiltration.
Standard cleaning – The program will attempt to automatically clean or delete an infected file based on a predefined
action (depending on the type of infiltration). Detection and deletion of an infected file is signaled by an information
message located in the bottom-right corner of the screen. If it is not possible to select the correct action automatically,
the program offers a selection of follow-up actions. The same happens when a predefined action cannot be completed.
Strict cleaning – The program will clean or delete all infected files. The only exceptions are the system files. If it is not
possible to clean them, the user is prompted to select an action by a warning window.
Warning: If an archive contains a file or files which are infected, there are two options for dealing with the archive. In
standard mode (Standard cleaning), the whole archive would be deleted if all the files it contains are infected files. In
Strict cleaning mode, the archive would be deleted if it contains at least one infected file, regardless of the status of the
other files in the archive.
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4.1.1.6.4 Extension
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 the Scan all files option is deselected, the list changes to show all currently scanned file extensions.
To enable scanning files without an extension, select the Scan extensionless files option. The Do not scan
extensionless files option becomes available when the Scan all files option is enabled.
Excluding files is sometimes necessary if scanning certain file types prevents the program which is using the 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 the
Remove button 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 on the Default button 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 checkbox will remain unchecked.
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 by 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 (e.g., 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 Endpoint Security, infiltrations can be detected using
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Cleaning and deleting
If there is no predefined action to take for Real-time file system protection, you will be asked to select an option in an 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).
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 Endpoint Security and click Computer scan,
Click Smart scan (for more information, see Smart scan),
After the scan has finished, review the log for the number of scanned, infected and cleaned files.
If you only wish to scan a certain part of your disk, click Custom scan and select targets to be scanned for viruses.
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4.1.2 Removable media
ESET Endpoint Security provides automatic removable media (CD/DVD/USB/...) scanning. This module allows you to
scan an inserted media. This may be useful if the computer administrator wishes to prevent the users from using
removable media with unsolicited content.
Action to take after connecting external devices – Select the default action that will be performed when a removable
media device is inserted into the computer (CD/DVD/USB). If the Show scan options option is selected, a notification will
display which allows you to choose a desired action:
Scan now – An on-demand computer scan of the inserted removable media device will be performed.
Scan later – No action will be performed and the New device detected window will be closed.
Setup... – Opens the Removable media setup section.
In addition, ESET Endpoint Security features the Device control functionality, which provides the possibility to define
rules for the use of external devices on a given computer. More details on Device control can be found in the Device
control section.
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4.1.3.1 Device control rules
The Device control rules editor window displays existing rules and allows for precise control of external devices that
users connect to the computer.
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 you 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 Endpoint Security in Tools > Log files.
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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 (USB/Bluetooth/FireWire/...). 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 Optical storage 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 does not provide information about users only about their actions, it means that imaging devices can be
blocked only 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 from the device will be allowed.
Read/Write – Full access to the device will be allowed.
Note that not all rights (actions) are available for all device types. If a device has storage space, all three actions are
made available. For non-storage devices, there are only two (e.g. Read Only action is not available for Bluetooth, so it
means that device can be just allowed or blocked).
Other parameters that can be used to fine-tune rules and tailor them to concrete 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.
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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, (e.g. imaging devices does not provide information about users
only about invoked actions).
Automatic mode with rules – Operations are enabled, except pre-defined rules that protect your system.
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 the
automatic mode. After selecting Learning mode, the Notify about learning mode expiration in X days option becomes
active. After that time period 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. 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:
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 checked 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 the product help, press F1 key in the
window which is identical to the image below).
4. Add one or several applications you wish to protect.
5. Enable the Notify user option to display a user notification whenever the rule is applied.
6. Click OK to save the new rule.
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A dialog window is shown every time if Ask is the default action. It allows the user to choose to Deny or Allow the
operation. If the user does not choose an action in the given time, a new action is selected based on the rules.
The 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. Settings for the exact parameters can be accessed by clicking on
Show Options. Rules created like this are considered equal to rules created 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 the same window.
The Temporarily remember this action for this process option causes the action (Allow / Deny) to be used until a
change of rules or filtering mode, a HIPS module update or a system restart. After any of these three 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 after clicking on the Network title. Here, you can adjust
the filtering mode, rules and detailed settings. You can also access more detailed settings of the program from here.
The only option for blocking all network traffic is to click 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 requiring the system to be disconnected from the network.
The Disable filtering: allow all traffic option 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. It has the same effect as no
firewall being present. While Network traffic filtering is in Blocking state, the Switch to filtering mode option enables the
firewall.
The following options are available when Automatic filtering mode is enabled:
Automatic filtering mode – To change the filtering mode, click the Switch to interactive filtering mode option.
Zone setup... – Displays the trusted zone setup options.
The following options are available when Interactive filtering mode is enabled:
Interactive filtering mode – To change the filtering mode, click either Switch to automatic filtering mode or Switch
to automatic filtering mode with exceptions depending on the current filtering mode.
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 allows you to choose between strict or
allowed protection mode.
Advanced Personal firewall setup... – Allows you to access the advanced firewall setup options.
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4.2.1 Filtering modes
Five filtering modes are available for the ESET Endpoint Security Personal firewall. Filtering modes can be found
in Advanced setup (F5) by clicking Network > Personal firewall. The behavior of the firewall changes based on the
selected mode. Filtering modes also influence the level of user interaction required.
Filtering can be performed in one of five modes:
Automatic mode – The default mode. This mode is suitable for users who prefer easy and convenient use of the
firewall with no need to define rules. Automatic mode allows all outbound traffic for the given system and blocks all
new connections initiated from the network side.
Automatic mode with exceptions (user-defined rules) – In addition to automatic mode, you can also add custom,
user-defined rules.
Interactive mode – Allows you to build a custom configuration for your Personal firewall. When a communication is
detected and no existing rules apply to that communication, a dialog window reporting an unknown connection will be
displayed. The dialog window gives the option of allowing or denying the communication, and the decision to allow or
deny can be remembered as a new rule for the Personal firewall. If you choose to create a new rule at this time, all future
connections of this type will be allowed or blocked according to the rule.
Policy-based mode – Blocks all connections which are not defined by a specific rule that allows them. This mode allows
advanced users to define rules that permit only desired and secure connections. All other unspecified connections will be
blocked by the Personal firewall.
Learning mode – Automatically creates and saves rules; this mode is suitable for initial configuration of the Personal
firewall. No user interaction is required, because ESET Endpoint Security saves rules according to predefined
parameters. Learning mode is not secure, and should only be used until all rules for required communications have
been created.
Profiles are a tool to control the behavior of the ESET Endpoint Security Personal firewall.
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4.2.2 Firewall profiles
Profiles can be used to control the behavior of the ESET Endpoint Security Personal firewall.. When creating or editing a
Personal firewall rule, you can assign it to a specific profile or have it apply to every profile. When you select a profile,
only the global rules (rules with no profile specified) and the rules that have been assigned to that profile are applied.
You can create multiple profiles with different rules assigned to easily alter the Personal firewall behavior.
Click the Profiles... button (see figure in section Filtering modes) to open the Firewall profiles window where you can
Add, Edit or Remove profiles. Note that in order to Edit or Remove a profile, it must not be selected from the Selected
profile drop-down menu. When adding or editing a profile, you can also define the conditions that trigger it.
When creating a profile, you can select events that will trigger the profile. The following options are available:
Do not switch automatically – The automatic trigger is turned off (the profile must be activated manually).
When the automatic profile becomes invalid and no other profile is activated automatically (default profile) When the
automatic profile becomes invalid (ie. if the computer is connected to an untrusted network – see section Network
authentication) and another profile is not activated in its place (the computer is not connected to another trusted
network), the Personal firewall will switch to this profile. Only one profile can use this trigger.
If this zone is authenticated – This profile will be triggered when the specified zone is authenticated (see section
Network authentication).
When the Personal firewall switches to another profile, a notification will appear in the lower right corner by the system
clock.
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4.2.3 Configuring and using rules
Rules represent a set of conditions used to meaningfully test all network connections and all actions assigned to these
conditions. With the Personal firewall, you can define what action to take if a connection defined by a rule is established.
To access the rule filtering setup, navigate to Advanced setup (F5) > Network > Personal firewall > Rules and zones.
Click the Setup... button in the Trusted zone section to display the Trusted zone setup window. The Do not display with
Trusted zone settings... option allows the user to disable the trusted zone setup window each time the presence of a
new subnet is detected. The currently specified zone configuration is automatically used.
NOTE: If the Personal firewall is set to Automatic mode, some settings are not available.
Click the Setup... button in the Zone and rule editor section to display the Zone and rule setup window, where an
overview of either rules or zones is displayed (based on the currently selected tab). The window is divided into two
sections. The upper section lists all rules in a shortened view. The lower section displays details about the rule currently
selected in the upper section. The bottom of the window has New, Edit, and Delete (Del) buttons, which allow you to
configure rules.
Connections can be divided into incoming and outgoing connections. Incoming connections are initiated by a remote
computer attempting to establish a connection with the local system. Outgoing connections work in the opposite way –
the local system contacts a remote computer.
If a new unknown communication is detected, you must carefully consider whether to allow or deny it. Unsolicited,
unsecured or unknown connections pose a security risk to the system. If such a connection is established, we
recommend that you pay particular attention to the remote computer and the application attempting to connect to your
computer. Many infiltrations try to obtain and send private data, or download other malicious applications to host
workstations. The Personal firewall allows you to detect and terminate such connections.
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 application’s executable.
Description – Description of the application.
Name – Name of the application's executable.
Select what type of rules will be displayed in the Rules to display list:
Only user defined rules – Displays only those rules created by the user.
User and pre-defined rules – Displays all user-defined and default pre-defined rules.
All rules (including system) – All rules are displayed.
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4.2.3.1 Rules setup
Rules setup allows you to view all rules applied on the traffic generated by individual applications within trusted zones
and the Internet. By default, rules are added automatically according to user reactions to a new communication. To
view more information about an application at the bottom of this window, click the name of the application.
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 are 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 which 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, verify that the Rules tab is selected and click the
Edit button.
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
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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 option displays a notification
when the rule is applied.
The Information box displays a summary of the rule at the bottom of all three tabs. You will see the same information if
you click the rule in the main window (Tools > Network connections; right-click the rule and enable the Show details
option (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. Set 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. The following must be
provided in this case:
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 Configuring zones
In the Zone setup window you can specify the zone name, description, network address list and zone authentication
(see Zone authentication – Client configuration).
A zone represents a collection of network addresses which create one logical group. Each address in a given group is
assigned similar rules defined centrally for the whole group. One example of such a group is the Trusted zone. The
Trusted zone represents a group of network addresses which are fully trusted and not blocked by the Personal firewall
in any way.
These zones can be configured using the Zones tab in the Zone and rule setup window, by clicking the Edit button.
Enter a Name for the zone, a Description, and add a remote IP address by clicking the Add IPv4/IPv6 address button.
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There are two authentication types available:
To test your settings, click the Test button. If authentication is successful, a Server authentication successful message
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 –
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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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4.2.5 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 which 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 the Remember action (create rule) option
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 which 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 correctly configured, a Personal firewall becomes a useful tool for protection against a variety of
malicious code attacks.
4.2.6 Logging
The ESET Endpoint 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 are a valuable tool for detecting errors and revealing 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
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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: too frequent connections from unknown locations,
multiple attempts to establish connections, unknown applications communicating or unusual port numbers used.
All features active – The Personal firewall is fully integrated and its components are active (default option). In case the
computer is connected to a larger network or the internet, it is advisable to leave this option activated. This is the most
secure option and fully protects your system.
Personal firewall is inactive – The Personal firewall is integrated in the system and mediates network
communication but does not check for threats.
Only scan application protocols – Only components of the Personal firewall that provide scanning of application
protocols (HTTP, POP3, IMAP and their secured versions) are active. If the application protocols are not scanned,
protection is carried out at the level of real-time file system protection and on-demand computer scan.
Personal firewall is completely disabled – Select this option to completely unregister the Personal firewall from the
system. No scanning is performed. This can be useful when testing – if an application is blocked, you can check if it is
blocked by the firewall. This is the least secure option, so we recommend being cautious when disabling the firewall
completely.
Postpone Personal firewall module update until a computer restart – The update will only be downloaded,
installation will be performed during a computer restart.
Internet connectivity is a standard feature for personal computers. Unfortunately, it has also become the main medium
for transferring malicious code. Because of this, it is essential that you carefully consider your Web access protection.
Email client protection provides control of email communication received through the POP3 and IMAP protocol. Using
the plug-in program for your email client, ESET Endpoint Security provides control of all communications from
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the email client (POP3, MAPI, IMAP, HTTP).
The Antispam protection filters unsolicited email messages.
Disable – Deactivates web/email/antispam protection for email clients.
Configure ... – Opens web/email/antispam protection advanced settings.
User's Whitelist – Opens a dialog window where you can add, edit or delete email addresses that are considered safe.
Email messages with the sender address 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 with the sender address 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 with the sender address listed in the Exception list will always be
scanned for spam. By default, the Exception list contains your email addresses from existing email client accounts.
The term phishing defines a criminal activity which uses techniques of social engineering (manipulating users in order to
obtain confidential information). Read more about this activity in the glossary. ESET Endpoint Security supports anti-
phishing protection – known web pages with such content are always blocked.
We strongly recommend that Web access protection is enabled. This option can be accessed from the main window of
ESET Endpoint Security by navigating to Setup > Web and email > Web access protection.
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4.3.1.1 HTTP, HTTPs
By default, ESET Endpoint Security is configured to use the standards of most Internet browsers. However, the HTTP
scanner setup options can be modified in Advanced setup (F5) > Web and email > Web access protection > HTTP,
HTTPS. In the main HTTP/HTTPS scanner window, you can select or deselect the Enable HTTP checking option. You
can also define the port numbers used for HTTP communication. By default, the port numbers 80 (HTTP), 8080 and
3128 (for Proxy server) are predefined.
ESET Endpoint Security supports HTTPS protocol checking. HTTPS communication uses an encrypted channel to
transfer information between server and client. ESET Endpoint Security checks communications utilizing the SSL
(Secure Socket Layer), and TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption methods. HTTPS checking can be performed in
the following modes:
Do not use HTTPS protocol checking – Encrypted communication will not be checked.
Use HTTPS protocol checking for selected ports – HTTPS checking only for ports defined in Ports used by HTTPS
protocol.
Use HTTPS protocol checking for selected ports – The program will only check those applications that are specified in
the browsers section and that use ports defined in Ports used by HTTPS protocol. Port 443 is set by default.
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.
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4.3.1.2 URL address management
The URL address management section enables you to specify HTTP addresses to block, allow or exclude from checking. The Add,
Edit, Remove and Export buttons 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 the Allow
access only to URL addresses in the list of allowed addresses option, 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. After you click the Lists... button, the HTTP address/mask lists window will pop-up where you can Add or
Remove lists of addresses. In order to add an HTTPS URL addresses to the list, the Always scan SSL protocol option
has to be active.
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. To activate a list, select the List active option. If you wish 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 (Add), or from a simple text file (From file).
The From file option enables you to add multiple URL addresses/masks which are saved in a text file.
Edit... – Manually edit addresses – e.g. 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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4.3.2 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 Endpoint 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 provided by 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 select to
Append tag messages to received and read mail, as well as Append tag messages to sent mail. The tag messages
cannot be relied on without question, since they may be omitted in problematic HTML messages or can be forged by
some viruses. The tag messages can be added to received and read email, to 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 – Enable this checkbox 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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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 Endpoint Security also supports POP3S protocol checking. This type of communication uses an encrypted
channel to transfer information between server and client. ESET Endpoint 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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4.3.2.3 Integration with email clients
Integration of ESET Endpoint Security with email clients increases the level of active protection against malicious code in
email messages. If your email client is supported, this integration can be enabled in ESET Endpoint Security. If
integration is activated, the ESET Endpoint Security toolbar is inserted directly into the email client, allowing for more
efficient email protection. The integration settings are available through Setup > Enter advanced setup... > Web and
email > Email client protection > Email client integration.
Email clients that are currently supported include Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Windows Live
Mail and Mozilla Thunderbird. For a complete list of supported email clients and their versions, refer to the following
ESET Knowledgebase article.
Select the checkbox next to Disable checking upon inbox content change if you are experiencing a system slowdown
when working with your email client. Such a situation may take place when downloading email from the Kerio Outlook
Connector Store.
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Even if integration is not enabled, email communication is still protected by the email client protection module (POP3,
IMAP).
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 option is selected, the email protection module accepts scan results of
other protection modules.
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4.3.3 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 efficient 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 Endpoint Security allows you to set different parameters to work with mailing lists.
Options are as follows:
Start email client antispam protection automatically – Activates/deactivates email client antispam protection.
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 – Choose this option 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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Start email client antispam protection automatically – When enabled, antispam protection will be automatically
activated at system startup.
Enable advanced antispam control – Additional antispam databases will be downloaded, increasing antispam
capabilities and producing better results.
ESET Endpoint Security supports Antispam protection for Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail,
Windows Live Mail and Mozilla Thunderbird.
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4.3.4.2 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 the Add... button to manually select an
application not shown on the protocol filtering list.
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4.3.4.3 Excluded IP addresses
The entries in the addresses list will be excluded from the protocol content filtering. HTTP/POP3/IMAP communication
from/to the selected addresses will not be checked for threats. We recommend using this option only for addresses that
are trustworthy.
Add IPv4/IPv6 address – This options allows you to add an IP address/address range/subnet of a remote point for
which the rule is to be applied.
Remove – Remove selected entries from the list.
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4.3.4.4 SSL protocol checking
ESET Endpoint 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 by you 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 enables 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 be automatically blocked.
4.3.4.4.1 Certificates
For SSL communication to work properly in your browsers/email clients, it is essential that the root certificate for ESET,
spol. s r.o. be added to the list of known root certificates (publishers). Therefore, the Add the root certificate to known
browsers option should be enabled. Select this option to automatically add the ESET root certificate to the known
browsers (e.g. Opera, 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 business companies (e.g. banks) use
a certificate signed by TRCA. If the Ask about certificate validity option (default) is selected, 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 the Block communication that uses the certificate option 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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4.3.4.4.1.2 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 the communication utilizing the certificates does not need to be checked.
To delete selected items from the list, click the Remove button. Click the Show option (or double-click the certificate) to
display information about the selected certificate.
If the certificate is not located in the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store, it is considered to be untrusted.
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not be checked at all.
The list of rules contains several descriptions of rules such as name, type of blocking, action to perform after matching a
Web control rule 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 Endpoint Security in Tools > Log files.
Click Edit Group to open the Group editor window, where you can add or remove predefined categories and
subcategories that belongs to a corresponding group.
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4.4.2 Adding Web control rules
The Web control rules window allows you to manually create or modify the existing Web control filtering rule.
Enter a description of the rule into the Name field for better identification.The checkbox Enabled disables or enables
this rule; this can be useful if you don't wish to delete the rule permanently.
Action type
URL-based action – Access to the given website. Enter the appropriate URL address into the URL field.
Category-based action – After you select this option, a category from the Category drop-down menu must be
selected.
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.
Action
Allow – Access to the URL address/category will be granted.
Block – Blocks the URL address/category.
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.
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4.4.3 Group editor
The Group Editor window is divided into two parts. The right part of the window contain a list of categories and
subcategories. Select a category in the Category list to display its subcategories. Most subcategories belong to a group
marked with a color.
A red color group contains adult and/or generally inappropriate subcategories. On the other hand, a green group
includes categories of web pages that can be considered acceptable.
Use the arrows to add or remove a selected subcategory to a selected group.
Note: A subcategory can belong to only one group. There are some subcategories that are not included in predefined
groups (for example, Games). In order to match a desired subcategory using Web control filter, add it to a desired
group. If the subcategory being added is already included in another group, it will be removed and added to the
selected group.
Search for a group by entering search terms into the Search field located in the bottom left corner of the window.
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Last successful update – The date of the last update. Make sure it refers to a recent date, which means that the virus
signature database is current.
Virus signature database version – The virus signature database number, which is also an active link to ESET’s
website. Click it to view a list of all signatures added within the given update.
Update process
After clicking Update virus signature database, the download process begins. A download progress bar and
remaining time to download will be displayed. To interrupt the update, click Abort.
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Important: Under normal circumstances, when updates are downloaded properly the message Update is not
necessary – 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:
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.
The previous notification is related to the following two Virus signature database update failed 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 > General in the Advanced setup tree to enter a new username and password.
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2. An error occurred while downloading update files – 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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The currently used update profile is displayed in the Selected profile drop-down menu. Click Profiles... to create a new
profile.
The list of available update servers is accessible via the Update server drop-down menu. The Update server is the
location where updates are stored. If you use an ESET server, please leave the default option Choose automatically
selected. To add a new update server, click Edit... in the Update settings for selected profile section and then click the
Add button.
When using a local HTTP server – also known as a Mirror – the update server should be set as follows:
http://computer_name_or_its_IP_address:2221
When using a local HTTP server using SSL – the update server should be set as follows:
https://computer_name_or_its_IP_address:2221
Authentication for update servers is based on the Username and Password generated and sent to you after purchase.
When using a local Mirror server, the verification depends on its configuration. By default, no verification is required, i.
e., the Username and Password fields are left empty.
Pre-release updates (the Pre-release update option) are updates which have gone through thorough internal testing and
will be generally available 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 Endpoint Security. It is recommended that basic users leave
the Regular update option selected by default. Business users can select the Delayed update option to update from
special update servers providing new versions of virus databases with a delay of at least X hours, i.e., databases tested
in a real environment and therefore considered as stable.
Click the Setup... button next to Advanced update setup to display a window containing advanced update options.
If you experience problems with an update, click the Clear... button to flush the folder with 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
Presentation mode will turn off all notifications.
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4.5.1.2.1 Update mode
The Update mode tab contains options related to the program component update. The program enables you to
predefine its behavior when a new program component upgrade is available.
Program component updates brings new features or makes changes to those that already exist from previous versions. It
can be performed automatically without user intervention, or you can choose to be notified. After a program component
update has been installed, a computer restart may be required. In the Program component update section, three options
are available:
Never update program components – Program component updates will not be performed at all. This option is
suitable for server installations, since servers can usually be restarted only when they are undergoing maintenance.
Always update program components – A program component update will be downloaded and installed
automatically. Please remember that a computer restart may be required.
Ask before downloading program components – The default option. You will be prompted to confirm or refuse
program component updates when they are available.
After a program component update, it may be necessary to restart your computer to provide full functionality of all
modules. The Restart after program component upgrade section allows you to select one of the following options:
Never restart computer – You will not be asked to restart, even if it is required. Please note that this is not
recommended, since your computer might not work properly until the next restart.
Offer computer restart if necessary – The default option. After a program component update, you will be
prompted to restart your computer in a dialog window.
If necessary, restart computer without notifying – After a program component upgrade, your computer will be
restarted (if required).
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 – e.g., restarting the server automatically after a
program upgrade could cause serious damage.
If the Ask before downloading update option is checked, 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.
A proxy server should be used to update ESET Endpoint Security that is different from the proxy server specified in
the global settings (Tools > Proxy server). If so, the settings should be specified here: Proxy server address,
communication Port, plus Username and Password for the proxy server if required.
The proxy server settings were not set globally, but ESET Endpoint Security will connect to a proxy server for
updates.
Your computer is connected to the Internet via a proxy server. The settings are taken from Internet Explorer during
program installation, but if they are subsequently changed (e.g. if you change your ISP), please check that the HTTP
proxy settings are correct in this window. Otherwise the program will not be able to connect to the update servers.
The default setting for the proxy server is Use global proxy server settings.
NOTE: Authentication data such as Username and Password are intended for accessing the proxy server. Fill in these
fields only if a username and password are required. Please note that these fields are not for your username/password
for ESET Endpoint Security, and should only be supplied if you know you need a password to access the internet via a
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proxy server.
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The first step in configuring the Mirror is to select the Create update mirror option. Selecting this option activates other
Mirror configuration options such as the way update files will be accessed and the update path to the mirrored files.
Provide update files via the internal HTTP server – If enabled, update files can simply be accessed through HTTP and
no username and password is required here. Click Advanced setup... to configure extended mirror options.
Note: HTTP server requires SP2 and later on Windows XP.
The methods of Mirror activation are described in detail in section Updating from the Mirror. For now, note that there
are two basic methods for accessing the Mirror – the folder with update files can be presented as a shared network
folder or by an HTTP server.
The folder dedicated to storing update files for the Mirror is defined in the Folder to store mirrored files section. Click
Folder… to browse for a folder on the local computer or shared network folder. If authorization for the specified folder is
required, authentication data must be entered into the Username and Password fields. If the selected destination folder
is located on a network disk running the Windows NT/2000/XP operating system, the Username and Password
specified must have write privileges for the selected folder. The username and password should be entered in the
format Domain/User or Workgroup/User. Please remember to supply the corresponding passwords.
When configuring the Mirror, you can also specify the language versions for which you want to download update copies
that are currently supported by the mirror server configured by the user. Language version setup is accessible in the
Available versions list.
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same computer as the ESET Endpoint Security instance creating it.
Append your Certificate chain file, or generate a self-signed certificate if you wish to run HTTP server with HTTPS (SSL)
support. The following types are available: ASN, PEM and PFX. It is possible to download update files via the HTTPS
protocol, which provides more security. It is almost impossible to track data transfers and login credentials using this
protocol. The Private key type option is set to Integrated by default (and therefore the Private key file option is disabled
by default), which means that the private key is a part of the selected certificate chain file.
After configuration of the Mirror is complete, go to the workstations and add a new update server. To do this, follow
the steps below:
Open ESET Endpoint Security Advanced setup and click Update > General.
Click Edit… to the right of the Update server drop-down menu and add a new server using one of the following
formats:
http://IP_address_of_your_server:2221
https://IP_address_of_your_server:2221 (if SSL is used)
Select the newly-added server from the list of update servers.
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copy to the local mirror. If the checkbox next to Update program components is selected, there is no need to click
Upgrade components because files are copied to the local mirror automatically when they are available. See Update
mode for more information about program component updates.
Select Until revoked if you wish to manually allow regular updates. Because it represents a potential security risk, we
do not recommend selecting this option.
If a rollback is enabled, the Roll back button turns to Allow updates. No updates will be allowed for the time interval
selected from the Time interval 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.
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
for a longer time. If you have entered 2 (two) into the Number of locally stored snapshots field and click Roll back, the
virus signature database 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 Endpoint Security in the
Update section.
Configuration options for the local Mirror server are accessible after adding a valid license key in the license manager,
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located in the ESET Endpoint Security Advanced setup section. If you use your workstation as a mirror, update copies
must have accepted the most recent End-User License Agreement (EULA) before they are created as copies update
files used to update other workstations located in the network. If a newer version of EULA is available when updating, a
dialog window with 60 seconds timeout will display to confirm it. To do this manually, click Setup... in the PCU Licenses
section of this window.
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4.6 Tools
The Tools menu includes modules that help simplify program administration and offer additional options for advanced
users.
Log files
Protection statistics
Watch activity
Running processes
Scheduler
Quarantine
Network connections
ESET SysInspector
Submit file for analysis – Allows you to submit a suspicious file for analysis to ESET's Virus Lab. The dialog window
displayed after clicking this option is described in the Submission of files for analysis section.
ESET SysRescue – Launches the ESET SysRescue creation wizard.
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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 acts as an essential tool in 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 Endpoint 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 Endpoint Security
modules. 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 Endpoint 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 rules which were marked for recording. The protocol shows the application that
called 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.
Antispam protection – Contains records related to email messages that were marked as spam.
Web control – Shows blocked or allowed URL addresses and its categories. The Action performed column tells you
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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 rule 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.
You can show the context menu by right-clicking on a specific record. 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... – After clicking this option, a Log filtering window will pop up where you can define the filtering
criteria.
Disable 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.
Scroll log – Leave this option enabled to auto scroll old logs and watch active logs in the Log files window.
Diagnostic – Logs information needed to fine-tune the program and all records above.
Informative – Records informative messages, including successful update messages, plus all records above.
Warnings – Records critical errors and warning messages.
Errors – Errors such as "Error downloading file" and critical errors will be recorded.
Critical – Logs only critical errors (error starting Antivirus protection, Personal firewall, etc...).
Click Enable text protocol to store logs in another file format and outside of Log files:
Type – If you choose Plain file format, logs will be stored in a text file; data will be separated by tabs. The same
applies to comma-separated CSV file format. If you choose Event, logs will be stored in Windows Event log (can be
viewed using Event Viewer in Control panel) as opposed to file.
Target directory – Place where the files will be stored (only applies to Plain/CSV). Each log section has its own file
with predefined filename (e.g. virlog.txt for Detected threats section of Log files, if you use plain text file format to
store logs).
The Delete log button erases all stored logs that are currently selected in the Type drop-down menu.
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4.6.2 Scheduler
Scheduler manages and launches scheduled tasks with predefined configuration and properties.
The Scheduler can be accessed from the ESET Endpoint 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.
Log maintenance
Regular automatic update
Automatic update after dial-up connection
Automatic update after user logon
Automatic startup file check (after user logon)
Automatic startup file check (after successful update of the virus signature database)
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 wish to modify and click the Edit... button.
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3. Enter a name of the task and select one of the timing options:
Once – The task will be performed only once, at the predefined date and time.
Repeatedly – The task will be performed at the specified interval (in hours).
Daily – The task will run each day at the specified time.
Weekly – The task will run once or more times a week, on the selected day(s) and time.
Event triggered – The task will be performed on a specified event.
4. Depending on the timing option you choose in the previous step, one of the following dialog windows will be
displayed:
Once – The task will be performed at the predefined date and time.
Repeatedly – The task will be performed at the specified time interval.
Daily – The task will run repeatedly each day at the specified time.
Weekly – The task will be run on the selected day and time.
5. If the task could not be run at the predefined time, you can specify when it will be performed again:
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4.6.2.1 Creating new tasks
To create a new task in Scheduler, click the Add... button or right-click and select Add... from the context menu. Five
types of scheduled tasks are available:
Run external application – Schedules the execution of an external application.
Log maintenance Log files also contains leftovers from deleted records. This task optimizes records in log files on a
regular basis to work effectively.
System startup file check – Checks files that are allowed to run at system startup or logon.
Create a computer status snapshot – Creates an ESET SysInspector computer snapshot – gathers detailed
information about system components (e.g. drivers, applications) and assesses the risk level of each component.
Computer scan – Performs a computer scan of files and folders on your computer.
Update – Schedules an Update task by updating the virus signature database and by updating program modules.
Since Update is one of the most frequently used scheduled tasks, we will explain how to add a new update task below.
From the Scheduled task drop-down menu, select Update. Click Next and enter the name of the task into the Task name
field. Select the frequency of the task. The following options are available: Once, Repeatedly, Daily, Weekly and Event
triggered. Use the Do not run the task if the computer is running on battery option to minimize system resources while a
laptop is running on battery power. Based on the frequency selected, you will be prompted with different update
parameters. Next, define what action to take if the task cannot be performed or completed at the scheduled time. The
following three options are available:
Wait until the next scheduled time
Run task as soon as possible
Run task immediately if the time since its last execution exceeds specified interval (the interval can be defined using
the Task interval scroll box)
In the next step, a summary window with information about the current scheduled task is displayed; the option Run
task with specific parameters should be automatically enabled. Click the Finish button.
A dialog window will appear, allowing you to select profiles to be used for the scheduled task. Here you can specify a
primary and alternative profile, which is used if the task cannot be completed using the primary profile. Confirm by
clicking OK in the Update profiles window. The new scheduled task will be added to the list of currently scheduled
tasks.
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4.6.3 Protection statistics
To view a graph of statistical data related to ESET Endpoint 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.
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 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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4.6.4 Watch activity
To see the current File system activity in graph form, click Tools > Watch activity. At the bottom of the graph is a timeline
which records File system activity real-time based on the selected time span. To change the time span, click the Step 1...
option located at the bottom-right of the window.
Step: 1 second (last 10 minutes) – The graph refreshes every second and the timeline covers the last 10 minutes
Step: 1 minute (last 24 hours) – The graph is refreshed every minute and the timeline covers the last 24 hours
Step: 1 hour (last month) – The graph is refreshed every hour and the timeline covers the last month
Step: 1 hour (selected month) – The graph is refreshed every hour and the timeline covers the last X selected months
The vertical axis of the File system activity graph represents read data (blue) and written data (red). Both values are
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 to view 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 (blue) and sent data
(red).
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The following actions are available:
Show – Opens the selected log in ESET SysInspector (same function as double-clicking a log).
Delete all – Deletes all logs.
Export... – Exports the log to an .xml file or zipped .xml.
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you if further information is required for analysis. Please note that you will not receive a response from ESET unless
more information is needed.
In this section, you can also choose whether files and statistical information will be submitted by means of ESET
Remote Administrator or directly to ESET. If you want to be sure that suspicious files and statistical information are
delivered to ESET, select the By means of Remote Administrator or directly to ESET option. In this case, files and
statistics are submitted by all available means. Submission of suspicious files by means of Remote Administrator
submits files and statistics to the remote administration server, which will ensure their subsequent submission to
ESET’s virus labs. If the Directly to ESET option is selected, all suspicious files and statistical information are sent to
ESET’s virus lab directly from the program.
Select the Enable logging option to create an event log to record file and statistical information submissions. It enables
logging to the Event log when files or statistics are sent.
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 Endpoint 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 (white-listed) 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.
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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 ESET's Virus Lab. If the file turns out
to be a malicious application, its detection will be added to one of the upcoming updates.
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 +.
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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.
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 of 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 of 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 Endpoint 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 ESET’s Virus Lab.
Files stored in the quarantine folder can be viewed in a table which 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 Endpoint 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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4.6.10 Submission of files for analysis
The file submission dialog enables you to send a file to ESET for analysis and can be found in Tools > Submit file for
analysis. If you find a suspiciously behaving file on your computer, you can submit it to ESET's Virus Lab for analysis. If
the file turns out to be a malicious application, its detection will be added to one of the upcoming updates.
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 samples@eset.com. Please remember to use a descriptive subject
and enclose as much information about the file as possible (e.g., 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,
False positive (file that is detected as an infection but are not infected),
and Other.
File – The path to the file 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, which makes it impossible to
reply to all submissions.
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Send event notifications to LAN computers by means of Messenger service – Select this checkbox 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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4.6.13 Diagnostics
Diagnostics provides application crash dumps of ESET's processes (e.g. ekrn). If an application crashes, a dump will
be generated. This can help developers to debug and fix various ESET Endpoint Security problems. Two dump types
are available:
Complete memory dump – Records all the contents of system memory when 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 Open folder... to open this
directory within a new Windows explorer window.
4.6.14 Licenses
The Licenses branch allows you to manage the license keys for ESET Endpoint Security and other ESET products such
as ESET Remote Administrator, etc. After purchase, license keys are delivered along with your username and password.
To Add/Remove a license key, click the corresponding button in the license manager (Licenses) window. The license
manager is accessible in the Advanced setup tree by clicking Tools > Licenses.
The license key is a text file containing information about the purchased product: the owner, number of licenses, and
the expiration date.
The license manager window allows you to upload and view the content of a license key using the Add… button – the
information contained is displayed in the manager. To delete a license file from the list, select it and click Remove.
If a license key has expired and you are interested in purchasing a renewal, click the Order… button – you will be
redirected to our online store.
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4.6.15 Remote administration
ESET Remote Administrator (ERA) is a powerful tool to manage security policy and to obtain an overview of the overall
security within a network. It is especially useful when applied to larger networks. ERA not only increases the security
level, but also provides ease-of-use in the administration of ESET Endpoint Security on client workstations. You can
install, configure, view logs, schedule update tasks, scan tasks, etc. Communication between ESET Remote
Administrator (ERAS) and ESET security products requires a correct configuration on both end points.
Remote administration setup options are available from the main ESET Endpoint Security program window. Click
Setup > Enter advanced setup... > Tools > Remote administration.
Activate remote administration by selecting the Connect to Remote Administration server option. You can then
access the other options described below:
Interval between connections to server (min.) – This tells how often ESET security product will connect to ERAS to
send out the data.
Primary server, Secondary server – Usually, only Primary server needs to be configured. If you are running multiple
ERA servers on the network, you can opt to add another, Secondary ERA server connection. It will serve as the fallback
solution. So if the Primary server becomes inaccessible, the ESET security solution will automatically contact the
Secondary ERA server. Concurrently, it will attempt to reestablish the connection to the Primary server. After this
connection is active again, your ESET security solution will switch back to the Primary server. Configuring two remote
administration server profiles is best suited for mobile clients with clients connecting both from the local network and
from outside the network.
Server address – Specify either the DNS name or the IP address of the server running ERAS.
Port – This field contains a predefined server port used for connection. We recommend that you leave the default port
setting of 2222.
Interval between connections to server (min.) - This designates the frequency that ESET Endpoint Security will
connect to the ERA Server. If it is set to 0, information will be submitted every 5 seconds.
Remote Administrator server requires authentication – Allows you to enter a password to connect to the ERA
Server, if required.
Never connect to server with unsecured communication – Select this option to disable connecting to ERA servers
where unauthenticated access is enabled (see ERA Console > Server Options > Security > Enable unauthenticated
access for Clients).
Click OK to confirm changes and apply the settings. ESET Endpoint Security will use these settings to connect to the
ERA Server.
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4.7 User interface
The User interface section allows you to configure the behavior of the program's Graphical user interface (GUI).
Using the Graphics tool, you can adjust the program's visual appearance and effects used.
By configuring Alerts and notifications, you can change the behavior of detected threat alerts and system notifications.
These can be customized to fit your needs.
If you choose not to display some notifications, they will be displayed in the Hidden notification windows area. Here
you can check their status, show more details or remove them from this window.
To provide maximum security of your security software, you can prevent any unauthorized changes by protecting the
settings by a password using the Access setup tool.
The Context menu is displayed after right-clicking on the selected object. Use this tool to integrate the ESET Endpoint
Security control elements into the context menu.
Presentation mode is useful for users, who want to work with an application, and not be interrupted by pop-up
windows, scheduled tasks and any components that could load the processor and RAM.
4.7.1 Graphics
User interface configuration options in ESET Endpoint Security allow you to adjust the working environment to fit your
needs. These configuration options are accessible in the User interface > Graphics branch of the ESET Endpoint
Security Advanced setup tree.
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 wish to deactivate the ESET Endpoint Security splash-screen, deselect the Show splash-screen at startup
option.
If the Show tooltips option is enabled, a short description of any option will be displayed when the cursor is placed
over an option. The Select active control element option will 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 decrease or increase the speed of animated effects, select the Use animated controls option and move the Speed
slider bar to the left or right.
To enable the use of animated icons to display the progress of various operations, select the Use animated icons for
progress indication option.
If you want to have ESET Endpoint 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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4.7.2 Alerts and notifications
The Alerts and notifications section under User interface allows you to configure how threat alerts and system
notifications (e.g. successful update messages) are handled by ESET Endpoint Security. You can also set display
time and the level of transparency of system tray notifications (it applies only to the systems supporting system tray
notifications).
The first item is Display alerts. Disabling this option will cancel all alert windows and is only suitable for a limited
amount of specific situations. For most users, we recommend that this option be left to its default setting (enabled).
To close pop-up windows automatically after a certain period of time, select the Close messageboxes automatically
after (sec.) option. If they are not closed manually, alert windows are automatically closed after the specified time
period elapses.
Notifications on the Desktop and balloon tips are informative only, and do not require or offer user interaction. They are
displayed in the notification area at the bottom right corner of the screen. To activate Desktop notifications, select the
Display notifications on desktop option. More detailed options, such as notification display time and window
transparency can be modified by clicking the Configure notifications... button. To preview the behavior of notifications,
click the Preview button.
To configure the duration of the balloon tips display time, see the Display balloon tips in taskbar (for sec.) option and
enter your desired interval into the adjacent field.
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The Display only notifications requiring user’s interaction option allows you to toggle alerts and notifications that require
no user interaction. Select Display only notifications requiring user’s interaction when running applications in full screen
mode to suppress all non-interactive notifications.
Click Advanced setup... to enter additional Alerts and notification setup options.
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4.7.4 Access setup
In order to provide maximum security for your system, it is essential for ESET Endpoint Security to be correctly
configured. Any unqualified change may result in a loss of important data. This option is located in the Access setup
submenu under User interface in the Advanced setup tree. To avoid unauthorized modifications, the setup parameters of
ESET Endpoint Security can be password protected.
Password protect settings – Locks/unlocks the program's setup parameters. Check or uncheck the checkbox to open
the Password setup window.
To set or change a password to protect setup parameters, click Set password....
Require full administrator rights for limited administrator accounts – Select this option to prompt the current user (if he or
she does not have administrator rights) to enter administrator username and password when modifying certain system
parameters (similar to the UAC in Windows Vista). The modifications include disabling protection modules or turning off
the firewall.
Show protection timeout dialog – You will be prompted if this option is selected while temporarily disabling the protection
from the program menu or via ESET Endpoint Security > Setup section. A Time interval drop-down menu in Temporarily
disable protection window represents the period of time all selected parts of protection will be disabled.
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4.7.5 Program menu
Some of the most important setup options and features are available in the main program menu.
Frequently used – Displays the most frequently used parts of ESET Endpoint 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 the Do not ask
again checkbox 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.
Block network – Personal firewall will block all outgoing / incoming network and internet traffic.
Temporarily disable firewall – Switches the firewall to an inactive state. See 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 it, such as
pressing the F5 key or navigating to Setup > Enter advanced setup....
Log files – Log files contain information about all important program events that have occurred and provide an
overview of detected threats.
Reset window layout – Resets the ESET Endpoint Security's window to its default size and position on the screen.
About – Provides system information, details about the installed version of ESET Endpoint Security and the installed
program modules. Here, you can also find the license expiration date. At the bottom, you can find information about
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the operating system and system resources.
The following options are available in the Menu type drop-down menu:
Full (scan first) – Activates all context menu options; the main menu will display the Scan with ESET Endpoint
Security option.
Full (clean first) – Activates all context menu options; the main menu will display the Clean with ESET Endpoint
Security option.
Only scan – Only the Scan with ESET Endpoint Security option will be displayed in the context menu.
Only clean – Only the Clean with ESET Endpoint Security option will be displayed in the context menu.
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5. Advanced user
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5.3 Keyboard shortcuts
Key shortcuts that can be used when working with the ESET Endpoint Security include:
Ctrl+G disables GUI in the product
Ctrl+I opens the ESET SysInspector page
Ctrl+L opens the Log files page
Ctrl+S opens the Scheduler page
Ctrl+Q opens the Quarantine page
Ctrl+U opens a dialog window where Username and Password can be set
Ctrl+R resets window to its default size and position on the screen
For better navigation in the ESET security product, the following keyboard shortcuts can be used:
F1 opens help pages
F5 opens the Advanced setup
Up/Down navigation in product through items
* expands the Advanced setup tree node
- collapses the Advanced setup tree node
TAB moves the cursor in a window
Esc closes the active dialog window
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)
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/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
/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
/adware scan for Adware/Spyware/Riskware (default)
/no-adware do not scan for Adware/Spyware/Riskware
/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)
/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.
Available options: none, standard (default), strict, rigorous, delete
/quarantine copy infected files (if cleaned) to Quarantine
(supplements the action carried out while cleaning)
/no-quarantine do not copy infected files to Quarantine
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.
Please allow some time while ESET SysInspector scans your computer. It may take anywhere from 10 seconds up to a
few minutes depending on your hardware configuration, operating system and the number of applications installed on
your computer.
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5.5.1.1 Starting ESET SysInspector
To start ESET SysInspector, simply run the SysInspector.exe executable you downloaded from ESET's website.
Please wait while the application inspects your system, which could take up to several minutes depending on your
hardware and data to be gathered.
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 simply dragging and dropping them into the
Main 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 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.
Item 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 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.
Search
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 arrow, you may return to previously displayed information in the Description window.
You may 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
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 comprises of several important kernel components running 24/7 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.
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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.
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
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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
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
5.5.2.3 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
activity of malicious code.
After it is launched, the application creates a new log which is displayed in a new window. Navigate to 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, use 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,
use the option 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.
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NOTE: If you compare two log files, select File > Save log to save it as a ZIP file; both files are 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.
Items marked by a can only be found in the active log and were not present in the opened comparative log. Items
marked by a were present only in the opened log and are missing in the active one.
Description of all symbols that can be displayed next to items:
Any comparative log can be saved to a file and opened at a later time.
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, navigate to 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
To load a specific log directly in the browser, use: SysInspector.exe "c:\clientlog.xml"
To generate a log to a current location, use: SysInspector.exe /gen
To generate a log to a specific folder, use: SysInspector.exe /gen="c:\folder\"
To generate a log to a specific file/location, use: SysInspector.exe /gen="c:\folder\mynewlog.xml"
To generate a log excluding sensitive information directly in a compressed file, use: SysInspector.exe /gen="c:
\mynewlog.zip" /privacy /zip
To compare two logs, use: SysInspector.exe "current.xml" "original.xml"
NOTE: If the name of the file/folder contains a gap, then should be taken into inverted commas.
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5.5.4 Service Script
Service script is a tool that provides help to customers that use ESET SysInspector by easily removing unwanted objects
from the system.
Service script enables the user to export the entire ESET SysInspector log, or its selected parts. After exporting, you can
mark unwanted objects for deletion. You can then run the modified log to delete marked objects.
Service Script is suited for advanced users with previous experience in diagnosing system issues.
Unqualified modifications may lead to operating system damage.
Example
If you have a suspicion that your computer is infected by a virus which is not detected by your antivirus program, follow
the step-by-step instructions below:
Run ESET SysInspector to generate a new system snapshot.
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.
Right click the selected objects and select the Export Selected Sections To Service Script context menu option.
The selected objects will be exported to a new log.
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.
Open ESET SysInspector, click File > Run Service Script and enter the path to your script.
Click OK to run the script.
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Example:
02) Loaded modules:
- c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe
- c:\windows\system32\kernel32.dll
+ c:\windows\system32\khbekhb.dll
- c:\windows\system32\advapi32.dll
[...]
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.
Marked DNS server entries will be removed when you run the script.
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Example:
06) Important registry entries:
* Category: Standard Autostart (3 items)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HotKeysCmds = C:\Windows\system32\hkcmd.exe
- IgfxTray = C:\Windows\system32\igfxtray.exe
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- Google Update = “C:\Users\antoniak\AppData\Local\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe” /c *
Category: Internet Explorer (7 items)
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
+ Default_Page_URL = http://thatcrack.com/ [...]
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 dependant services will be stopped and uninstalled when the script is executed.
08) Drivers
This section lists installed drivers.
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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5.5.4.3 Executing Service scripts
Mark all desired items, then save and close the script. Run the edited script directly from the ESET SysInspector main
window by selecting the Run Service Script option from the File menu. When you open a script, the program will prompt
you with the following message: Are you sure you want to run the service script “%Scriptname%”? After you confirm your
selection, another warning may appear, informing you that the service script you are trying to run has not been signed.
Click Run to start the script.
A dialog window will confirm that the script was successfully executed.
If the script could only be partially processed, a dialog window with the following message will appear: The service
script was run partially. Do you want to view the error report? Select Yes to view a complex error report listing the
operations that were not executed.
If the script was not recognized, a dialog window with the following message will appear: The selected service script is
not signed. Running unsigned and unknown scripts may seriously harm your computer data. Are you sure you want to
run the script and carry out the actions? This may be caused by inconsistencies within the script (damaged heading,
corrupted section title, empty line missing between sections etc.). You can either reopen the script file and correct the
errors within the script or create a new service script.
5.5.5 FAQ
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.
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What is Anti-Stealth technology ?
Anti-Stealth technology provides effective rootkit detection.
If the system is attacked by malicious code that behaves as a rootkit, the user may be exposed to data loss or theft.
Without a special anti-rootkit tool, it is almost impossible to detect rootkits.
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, 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.
The ESET SysInspector window contains basic information about the created snapshots such as create time, a short
comment, name of the user that created the snapshot and snapshot status.
To compare, create, or delete snapshots, use the corresponding buttons located below the list of snapshots in the ESET
SysInspector window. Those options are also available from the context menu. To view the selected system snapshot,
use the Show context menu option. To export the selected snapshot to a file, right-click it and select Export....
Below is a detailed description of the available options:
Compare – Allows you to compare two existing logs. It is suitable if you want to track changes between the current
log and an older log. For this option to take effect, you must select two snapshots to be compared.
Create... – Creates a new record. Before that, you must enter a short comment about the record. To find out the
snapshot creation progress (of the currently generated snapshot), see the Status column. All completed snapshots
are marked by the Created status.
Delete/Delete all – Removes entries from the list.
Export... – Saves the selected entry in an XML file (also in a zipped version).
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5.6.1 Minimum requirements
ESET SysRescue works in the Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) version 2.x, which is based
on Windows Vista.
Windows PE is a part of the free package Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) or Windows Assesment
and Deployment Kit (WADK) and therefore Windows AIK or WADK must be installed before creating ESET SysRescue
( http://go.eset.eu/AIK, http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30652). Choosing between these kits
depends on operating system version. Due to the support of the 32-bit version of Windows PE, it is necessary to use a
32-bit installation package of ESET Security solution when creating ESET SysRescue on 64-bit systems. ESET
SysRescue supports Windows AIK 1.1 and higheras well as WADK 1.0 and higher..
NOTE: Since Windows AIK is over 1 GB in size, a high-speed internet connection is required for smooth download.
When installing Windows ADK choose only packages Deployment Tools and Windows Preinstallation Enviroment
(Windows PE) to install. Since these packages over 3.0 GB in size, a high-speed internet connection is required to
download.
ESET SysRescue is available in ESET Security solutions version 4.0 and higher.
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5.6.4 Settings
Before initiating ESET SysRescue creation, the install wizard displays compilation parameters in the last step of the
ESET SysRescue wizard. 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)
The Create button 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 the Change button and go to the ESET Antivirus tab. Also, if you
do not fill in username and password (Change > ESET Antivirus), the Create button is greyed out.
5.6.4.1 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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driver is introduced into the compilation so you do not need to look for it later.
5.6.4.6 Burn
If you have selected CD/DVD as your target medium, you can specify additional burning parameters on the Burn tab.
Delete ISO file – Check this option 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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5.6.5.1 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.
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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.
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.
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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 Endpoint 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 browser’s 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 user‘s
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 program‘s 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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6.1.8 Potentially unwanted applications
Potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) are not necessarily intended to be malicious, but may affect the performance
of your computer in a negative way. Such applications usually require consent for installation. If they are present on
your computer, your system behaves differently (compared to the state before their installation). The most significant
changes are:
New windows you haven’t seen previously (pop-ups, ads),
Activating and running of hidden processes,
Increased usage of system resources,
Changes in search results,
Application communicates with remote servers.
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6.2.5 TCP desynchronization
TCP desynchronization is a technique used in TCP Hijacking attacks. It is triggered by a process in which the sequential number in
incoming packets differs from the expected sequential number. Packets with an unexpected sequential number are dismissed (or
saved in the buffer storage, if they are present in the current communication window).
In desynchronization, both communication endpoints dismiss received packets, at which point remote attackers are
able to infiltrate and supply packets with a correct sequential number. The attackers can even manipulate or modify
communication.
TCP Hijacking attacks aim to interrupt server-client, or peer-to-peer communications. Many attacks can be avoided by
using authentication for each TCP segment. It is also advised to use the recommended configurations for your network
devices.
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6.3 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 1990‘s.
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:
6.3.1 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; what’s more, messages are delivered almost immediately. Many companies use
email marketing tools to effectively communicate with their 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.
6.3.2 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.
6.3.3 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.
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6.3.4 Recognizing spam scams
Generally, there are a few indicators which can help you identify spam (unsolicited emails) in your mailbox. If a message
fulfills at least some of the following criteria, it is most likely a spam message.
Sender address does not belong to someone on your contact list.
You are offered a large sum of money, but you have to provide a small sum first.
You are asked to enter, under various pretenses (data verification, Financial operations), some of your personal data
– bank account numbers, usernames and passwords, etc.
It is written in a foreign language.
You are asked to buy a product you are not interested in. If you decide to purchase anyway, please verify that the
message sender is a reliable vendor (consult the original product manufacturer).
Some of the words are misspelled in an attempt to trick your spam filter. For example “vaigra” instead of “viagra”, etc.
6.3.4.1 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
6.3.4.2 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.
6.3.4.3 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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6.3.4.4 Server-side control
Server-side control is a technique for identifying mass spam based on the number of received messages and the
reactions of users. Each message leaves a unique digital “footprint” based on the content of the message. The unique ID
number tells nothing about the content of the email. Two identical messages will have identical footprints, while different
messages will have different footprints.
If a message is marked as spam, its footprint is sent to the server. If the server receives more identical footprints
(corresponding to a certain spam message), the footprint is stored in the spam footprints database. When scanning
incoming messages, the program sends the footprints of the messages to the server. The server returns information on
which footprints correspond to messages already marked by users as spam.
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