TGE and Norton Internet Security

#1 Nope, NIS, as soon as an .exe is changed, it will register as a different program to NIS. This is a good security thing, NIS sees it as, but not us. Unfortunately I have not found a way to counter this either. It's annoying, especially if I am in full screen and click to host a server, and cannot see what the NIS window says or where to click. =/

Sorry...

#2 In Zone Alarm, you could force it to accept changing .exe files and not ask all the time (on a user-selectable basis). There is no option to do that in NIS?

#3 You can? That's awesome, how do you do it? (w/ Zone Alarm)

#4 @ Ben

In Zone Alarm, goto program control, select the program, click options and change the authentication options (none, authenticate by full name only or authenticate components). Authenticate components checks the size of the program and any dlls it uses, name makes sure it is where it was last time it ran and none does erm ... none :)

#5 Just realize that NIS isn't actually being "dumb" about making sure you re-confirm each "new" executable: it's a common hacking tactic to trojan horse an existing executable--especially low level system functions like "dir", or even explorer) so that those programs do what the hacker wants, while fooling the user into thinking it's doing what the user wants. Executable tracking is a safety net for protecting against this type of attack.

Now, I do agree, NIS should have an option to allow a "category" of executable types to be excluded from this check, but disabling the check completely for all executables is a risk.

#6 I wasn't under the impression NIS was being dumb: of course it should re-scan an exe if it's checksum changes but, like you say, the option to turn this off is an important one.

Thanks for the replies everyone, I guess I'll just have to use Windows Firewall while I'm devving.

Ian