Endpoint Protection

Hi,

Would it be possible for the software engineers at Symantec to write an Outlook plugin for Endpoint Protection 12.1.6 that actually works?

One that doesn't freeze Outlook when you try to send an email?

One that doesn't hold the PST file open after the main Outlook window is closed?

One that doesn't corrupt the PST so you have to run a SCANPST to fix it?

Is this too much to ask?

Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, Endpoint Protection 12.1.5 & 6, multiple unmanaged PC's, Outlook 2010 Professional Plus.

One of them is a brand new Dell Optiplex.

THANK YOU!

Do you have the defaults set for the plugin?

Have you opened a case on this?

I don't understand "Do you have the defaults set". I have not changed any settings. So I guess the defaults are set.

You mean the default setting is to freeze up Outlook when I send an email unless I tell it otherwise?

Enlighten me. Please.

Let me start from the beginning.

We had been using Norton Internet Security with Outlook 2010, part of Office 2010 Professional Plus, for many years without incident.

Norton Internet Security was replaced by Norton Security. We were unable to obtain licenses for Norton Security from our supplier, for reasons which I am not going to go into.

We were advised to switch to Symantec Endpoint Protection. We have 12.1.5 (since upgraded to 12.1.6), unmanaged.

And that's when the troubles began, when Endpoint Protection was installed. Not on all PC's, but on about half a dozen. Not all the time, but often enough to be annoying.

- Outlook freezes when trying to send email.

- When you start up Outlook, you get an error:
Cannot open your default email folders. The file (pst file) cannot be opened

- Corrupted PST files

So I do a little research. Lo and behold Endpoint Protection is infamous for causing Outlook issues. Oh joy!

So what conclusion am I supposed to reach? And what am I supposed to do about this?

For now I've turned off the Outlook plugin. Now I have to wait to see what happens.

Yes, exactly. You made no changes to the policy so you obviously have the defaults set. For instance, scanning only certain file types (ex. zip, exe, scr) instead of all of them. Or maybe setting the number for scanning compressed files to 1 or 2 insteado of the default of 3.

This plugin has been notorious for issues and there is very little configuration that can be done with it. There are two configurations, scan all or specific file extensions and scanning inside compressed files.

If you have mail scanning on your Exchange server (if you have one) then there is no point in having this pluging enabled on the clients.

My suggestion to you is disable the component and call support so they can work with you on getting to root cause. If you can't do that then just disable the component, be done with it, and rely on other features to keep you safe.

Question:

Does anyone know if SEP Small Business Edition (SBE) is any better with Outlook than plain SEP?

Thanks.

Nope. It's the same component.

So if the "plugin has been notorious for issues", when is symantec going to get around to fixing it?

Been like that for years so your guess is as good as mine.

Fantastic.

Like I already mentioned, we used to use Norton Internet Security, since at least 2005. Never caused a problem for us. But now that we've switched to SEP, it's been nonstop issues with Outlook.

Don't the software engineers at Symantec talk to each other? How come NIS got it right but SEP can't?

Well I'm late to this party. But there ARE other AV vendors out there. If this one is not supporting your needs then stop supporting them. I know it is a pain changing AV providers but you have to determine which is more painfull, Constantly fighting the same issues  and getting no/little support or changing to a different product. I know as soon as our supscription is up we will be looking at different products, something a little lighter on system resources and with good customer support.

Jumping on the bandwagon!
We've had 3 cases opened on this over the years, for Office 2003/2007/2010. Spanned over 4 years and SEP 11 & 12. Each time we came to same realization, the plugin is crap and support/engineering doesn't care.

Last time, we were told fairly bluntly, they didn't think they would continue to offer/support the plugin as they believed the AV / SONAR engine does a better job at catching the files as they are written to disk, as an Outlook temp file, before being opened. My experience does show the other engines find malcious files just fine for us.

We long ago unchecked the box and fight our auditors every time they bring it up as a finding.

Yes, having a solution on your Exchange/Lotus/Cloud/whatever solution is good, but not a failsafe.