Avast Antivirus may detect SoftActivity Monitor employee monitoring software on the manager’s PC and Agent installed on monitored computers as Potentially Unwanted Program(PUP) or Win32:ActivityLogger-E [PUP] threat. In fact, there is no virus in SoftActivity software. It only does what is described in its features on our website, i.e. records your employees computer activity.
To prevent Avast Antivirus from detecting this threat you will need to exclude these folders from scans in Avast: On a manager’s PC or server, where Activity Monitor admin console is installed:
C:\Program Files\SoftActivity\Activity Monitor
It’s also recommended to temporarily disable the antivirus protection before running installation on the admin’s PC. Otherwise it may find threats in TEMP folder that is used during installation. Then add the folder exclusion and enable antivirus protection.
On the monitored PC, where Activity Monitor Agent software is installed:
C:\Windows\sysnchrb
You need to add an exclusion before running Agent installation. Otherwise installation might fail.
Avira AntiVir Antivirus may detect Activity Monitor employee monitoring software on the manager’s PC and Agent installed on monitored computers as Potentially Unwanted Program(PUP) threat. In fact, there is no virus in Activity Monitor software. It only does what is declared in its features on the website, i.e. records your employees computer activity.
To prevent Avira AntiVir from detecting this threat you will need to exclude these folders from scans in the antivirus:
On the monitored PC, where Activity Monitor Agent software is installed: C:\Windows\sysnchrb
On the manager PC(server), where Activity Monitor admin console is installed exclude this folder: C:\Program Files\SoftActivity\Activity Monitor
Please note that you should configure Avira AntiVir exclusions before the monitoring program installation.
If you have Symantec Endpoint Protection installed on your company computers, it may detect a threat/risk in SoftActivity Monitor, Agent or TS Monitor and delete it. To avoid this you need to setup Exceptions in Symantec Endpoint. It will then ignore presence of Activity Monitor and allow monitoring of computers in your office network and will not notify users. Following steps below add these Centralized Exceptions in Symantec Endpoint Protection:
Spyware.ActivMonAgent
Spyware.ActMon
Folder on monitored computers: C:\Windows\sysnchrb
Folder where SoftActivity Monitor main console and server software is installed: C:\Program Files\SoftActivity\Activity Monitor
In case you use Symantec in Unmanaged Clients mode, you need to add these exceptions on each workstation where you are going to install Agent and on the workstation or server where you install Activity Monitor. If you use Managed clients mode in Symantec you need to add exceptions only once in Endpoint Protections Manager on the server. This is preferred mode and makes adding exceptions to all client computers much easier.
You need to add exceptions on computers where you are planning to install Activity Monitor and Agent before the installation. If you add exclusions after installation, you may need to reinstall Activity Monitor again, as it could be already damaged by the antivirus. If Symantec detects a risk in Activity Monitor/Agent files it will ask user to choose an action. In this case you can right click it and click Exclude.
1. Open Symantec Endpoint Protection. Click Change Settings tab, then click Configure Settings button next to Centralized Exceptions:
If you have Norton 360 installed, it may detect and delete Activity Monitor and Agent. To avoid this you need to setup exclusions in Norton 360. It will then ignore presence of Activity Monitor and allow monitoring of computers in your office network. Following steps below add these Signature Exclusions in Antivirus Settings in Norton 360:
Spyware.ActMon
Spyware.ActivMonAgent
You need to do it on computers where you are planning to install Activity Monitor and Agent before the installation. If you add exclusions after installation, you may need to reinstall Activity Monitor again, as it could be already damaged by the antivirus.
UPDATE (Sept 2012): Since version 7.0 of Activity Monitor exclude this folder on monitored computers: C:\Windows\sysnchrb
You may also need to create a Firewall Rule for Activity Monitor and Agent.
Antivirus exclusions for Activity Monitor and Agent in Norton 360
Norton Antivirus will report presence and delete SoftActivity Monitor software and Activity Monitor Agent . You can still install Activity Monitor on your company’s computers to monitor employees if you are authorized to do so. You will to add a few excludes in Norton Antivirus.
1. Open Norton Antivirus main window and click Settings in Computer panel:
It requests for user’s full name, email and the registration key that was used to activate the software. It allows then to download newest version of Activity Monitor software. You will also see expiration date of your subscription to updates and support.
If your updates and support subscription has expired the system will offer an easy option to renew your subscription for 1 more year.
