Good news!

After hundreds of hours on the project, Norton just quarantined the files: hadam3p_6.10_windows_intelx86.exe and hadam3p_6.07_windows_intelx86.exe and categorized them as HIGH RISK to the security of private information and computing activities on my computer. Status: Fully Removed (!!!)

Could someone please explain how this can happen, before I cancel this project on BOINC. If I need to restore that file from Norton, please let me know why such files were identified as compromising my computer.

Thanks,
Pat

Of course anything is possible, but overwhelmingly such things are due to \"false positives\", i.e. the antivirus software identifying something that is not a virus/not malware incorrectly.

And the cure is to do some quarantining of your own.

In the menu of the AV, find the place where it allows you to stop it from scanning BOINC. BOTH parts of it.
Norton has been notorious for this sort of problem for years.

---

Backups: Here

Ok, I\'ll restore the files in Norton, and try to exclude Boinc project files from future scrutiny.

But we should agree that this ought to be looked into. There\'s enough infringement on privacy in normal software as it is. The last thing we\'d want is compromising project files on BOINC.

Thanks.
Cheers,

Pat

I guarantee you that there is no one at cpdn programming to steal privacy information from you through climate model executables. We\'ve been around this project a long time and have seen various false positives from different antivirus software manufacturers. First it was Antivir, then Sophos and Norton, then NOD, now back to Norton again, all on different versions of boinc or cpdn programs. More than likely some signature file was downloaded yesterday to Norton, that had similar behavior identified with some malware. Norton \"thinks\" the behavior of the hadam3p programs are similar enough that it incorrectly classified it as malware. I have the same files on my PCs, but my McAfee at work and AVG at home are not identifying them as anything bad.

A couple previous threads on this issue:

http://climateprediction.net/board/viewtopic.php?p=47348

http://climateapps2.oucs.ox.ac.uk/cpdnboinc/forum_thread.php?id=5949

Ok, I\'ll restore the files in Norton, and try to exclude Boinc project files from future scrutiny.

But we should agree that this ought to be looked into. There\'s enough infringement on privacy in normal software as it is. The last thing we\'d want is compromising project files on BOINC.

Thanks.
Cheers,

Pat

Just be happy that Norton only quarantined the files. Several months ago, another version of Norton Sonar simply deleted the files that it believed were malware. People lost not only the running copy, but, their backup copies. Norton just sent them to cyber- limbo.

---

This is an argument for making backups off the main drive if possible. I keep mine on an external hard disk which can be plugged into either computer.

---

Cpdn news

A lot cheaper than a hard drive is “thumb” flash drive. Here in the United States they are about $2USD per GB. An 8GB drive can store several backups.

---