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How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

Migration User

Migration UserMay 21, 2009 11:58 PM

Migration User

Migration UserMay 22, 2009 12:46 AM

  • 1.  How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 14, 2009 10:40 PM
    Hi Team,

    I had used the directions below to block the user's ability to disable Symantec but the users could still disable Symantec.
    Just to add, we are using MR4MP1a and the users profiles are not admin accounts.
    Please kindly advice additional Procedures not written below.

    Best Regards,

    Nel Ramos

    ********************
    Procedures used:
    ********************

    How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients
    Question/Issue:
    How to prevent users from disabling Symantec Endpoint Protection by right-clicking on the client system tray icon and selecting "Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection"?

    Solution:
    To prevent users from disabling Symantec Endpoint Protection on their client:

    Step 1: Remove the right to disable Network Threat Protection:

    Open the "Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager."
    Click Clients.
    Select the group that contains the clients you want to be affected.
    Click Policies.
    Expand Location-specific settings.
    Click Tasks to the right of "Client User Interface Control Settings", then click Edit.
    Select Server control or Mixed control if it is not already set to one of these.
    Click Customize.
    If Server control is enabled this will open the Client User Interface Settings dialog.
    If Mixed control is enabled this will open the Client User Interface Mixed Control Settings dialog.

    Uncheck Allow users to enable or disable Network Threat protection.
    Click OK> OK.

    Step 2: Remove the right to disable Threat detection:
    Open the "Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager."
    Click Clients.
    Select the group that contains the clients you want to be affected.
    Click Policies.
    Expand Location-Specific Policies
    Click Antivirus and Antispyware Policy.
    Click File System Auto-Protect, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Enable File System Auto-Protect.
    Click Internet Email Auto-Protect, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Enable Internet Email Auto-Protect.
    Click Microsoft Outlook Auto-Protect, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Enable Microsoft Outlook Auto-Protect.
    Click Lotus Notes Auto-Protect, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Enable Lotus Notes Auto-Protect.
    Click Proactive Threat Scan, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Scan for trojans and worms and Scan for keyloggers.
    Click OK.

    Step 3: Force clients to update policy:
    This step is not necessary as clients will receive the policy during their normal check-in

    From the manager:
    Open the "Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager."
    Click Clients.
    Select the group that contains the clients you want to be affected.
    Click Run Command on Group.
    Click Update Content.
    The client will receive a prompt to heartbeat and update its policy. Once the policy has been updated the option to Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection will be grayed-out when users right-click the Symantec Endpoint Protection system tray icon.

    On the client:

    Right-click the Symantec Endpoint Protection system tray icon.
    Click Update Policy
    The client will request the new policy from the manager. Once the policy has been updated the option to Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection will be grayed-out.
     


  • 2.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 15, 2009 11:34 AM
    You need to configure the settings "require a password to stop the client service" or "require a password to uninstall the client" in General Settings -> Security Settings; without these, the end user still has a means to disable SEP.

    If you are logon with a local admin account, the changes made on SEPM console will not take place. You need to log off and then log back in as a normal User to see the option "Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection" grayed out

    Thomas



  • 3.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 15, 2009 12:57 PM

    @Cycletech: Do you mean to say that local admins can still disable the SEP?



  • 4.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 15, 2009 01:12 PM
    That should only apply in "User mode".

    Thomas





  • 5.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 15, 2009 08:07 PM
    would there be a work around for this.. since some users might have admin accounts that must not have powers to disable symantec...

    thanks...  


  • 6.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 21, 2009 05:47 PM
    Administrator accounts take precedence over all applications. If they have the ability to install applications, then logically, there's nothing stopping them from disabling or uninstalling them.

    Best you can do is to demote this admins to powerusers.


  • 7.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 21, 2009 09:38 PM
    @mon_raralio: well since ours is a big company..
    I shall visit our AD admin on this...
    just very sad to see that the powerful policy that we made was only turned off using services.msc...
    be giving you feedback for laters..

    thanks..


  • 8.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 21, 2009 11:58 PM
    Can regular users turn off the services?


  • 9.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 22, 2009 12:38 AM
    regular users (agents) could not disable it but there are some contractors that has the ability to disable thru services after I hide the symantec sheild in the system tray.


  • 10.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 22, 2009 12:46 AM
    I see, but the contractors have admin accounts?


  • 11.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 24, 2009 07:34 AM
    Some admin accounts tends to brake the rules of the organization.
    Its depressing that we have to secure the network from them.
     


  • 12.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 25, 2009 06:37 AM
    Solution:
    To prevent users from disabling Symantec Endpoint Protection on their client:

    Step 1: Remove the right to disable Network Threat Protection:

    Open the "Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager."
    Click Clients.
    Select the group that contains the clients you want to be affected.
    Click Policies.
    Expand Location-specific settings.
    Click Tasks to the right of "Client User Interface Control Settings", then click Edit.
    Select Server control or Mixed control if it is not already set to one of these.
    Click Customize.
    If Server control is enabled this will open the Client User Interface Settings dialog.
    If Mixed control is enabled this will open the Client User Interface Mixed Control Settings dialog.


    Uncheck Allow users to enable or disable Network Threat protection.
    Click OK> OK.


    Step 2: Remove the right to disable Threat detection:
    Open the "Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager."
    Click Clients.
    Select the group that contains the clients you want to be affected.
    Click Policies.
    Expand Location-Specific Policies
    Click Antivirus and Antispyware Policy.
    Click File System Auto-Protect, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Enable File System Auto-Protect.
    Click Internet Email Auto-Protect, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Enable Internet Email Auto-Protect.
    Click Microsoft Outlook Auto-Protect, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Enable Microsoft Outlook Auto-Protect.
    Click Lotus Notes Auto-Protect, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Enable Lotus Notes Auto-Protect.
    Click Proactive Threat Scan, then "lock this feature" by clicking the lock symbol next to Scan for trojans and worms and Scan for keyloggers.
    Click OK.


    Step 3: Force clients to update policy:
    This step is not necessary as clients will receive the policy during their normal check-in

    From the manager:
    Open the "Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager."
    Click Clients.
    Select the group that contains the clients you want to be affected.
    Click Run Command on Group.
    Click Update Content.
    The client will receive a prompt to heartbeat and update its policy. Once the policy has been updated the option to Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection will be grayed-out when users right-click the Symantec Endpoint Protection system tray icon.

    On the client:
    Right-click the Symantec Endpoint Protection system tray icon.
    Click Update Policy
    The client will request the new policy from the manager. Once the policy has been updated the option to Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection will be grayed-out.



  • 13.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 25, 2009 09:35 PM
    @SameerU: thanks for the additional advice.
    We had demoted the people that habitually breaks the rules from admins to just power users...
    They were not very happy about that.


  • 14.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 25, 2009 11:58 PM
    more unhappy people in your organization.
    watch out any rebound...


  • 15.  RE: How to block user's ability to disable Symantec Endpoint Protection on Clients

    Posted May 26, 2009 11:00 AM
    They have no right to complain as it's not their personal property anyways.
    People tend to forget that company PCs belong to the company and its contents - OS, Apps, even files  -belong to the company.