Can Symantec CSP 8.0.x coexist with another antivirus program?

Products

• Critical System Protection

Issue/Introduction

This article is applicable to Symantec Critical System Protection (CSP) version 8.0.x.

Symantec discourages the installation of another antivirus program on a CSP-protected system. With the market-leading whitelisting and exploit protection features, CSP ensures that your systems are always protected.

Warning: Be aware that coexistence of more than one antivirus program on the same system might cause usability issues, impact system performance, and higher bandwidth consumption.

Symantec qualification of antivirus programs to coexist with CSP

Consider installing another antivirus program on a CSP-protected system only if you have a valid business need. The following table lists the antivirus programs which may coexist with CSP and whether such coexistences have been qualified by Symantec or not.

Coexisting antivirus programs	Qualified by Symantec?	Additional details
Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP)	Yes	For CSP and SEP coexistence, you may disable the following SEP features: Application Control Application Isolation Otherwise, you may receive an error message stating that you have a CSP version which is already installed.
Any antivirus program other than SEP	No	See the Coexistence of CSP and an antivirus program other than SEP section in this article.

 

Resolution

Coexistence of CSP and an antivirus program other than SEP

To install an antivirus program other than SEP on a CSP-protected system, perform the steps in the following table:

Note: The steps in this procedure are supported only in the CSP 8.0.x Streamlined Whitelisting Prevention policy (for example, either sym_win_simplified_sbp, or a policy that you have created based on sym_win_simplified_sbp). You can manage the Streamlined Whitelisting Prevention policy only from the CSP Web console.

Steps	Details
Step 1: Access the Streamlined Whitelisting Prevention policy	Log on the CSP Web console. Click the Policies menu on the left pane. By default, the Policies tab is displayed. Navigate to the Workspace folder, policy group, or policy subgroup, and click on the policy that you want to edit.
Step 2: Add the other antivirus program to whitelist	In the policy, click Add. Add the other antivirus program for whitelisting from the list of discovered applications or by manually entering the application details. Complete the required fields to add the other antivirus program and save the changes. Click the uber Save button at the bottom of the Web console.
Step 3: Whitelist the other antivirus program	On the CSP Web console, click the Policies menu on the left pane. Navigate to the Workspace folder, policy group, or policy subgroup, and click on the policy that you are editing. Perform one of the following actions to whitelist the other antivirus program: Assign the other antivirus program as a trusted updater Disable the hardening, protection and firewall profiles for the other antivirus program If you want to assign the other antivirus program as a trusted updater, move the slider to the ON position in the corresponding TRUSTED UPDATER column. If you want to disable the hardening, protection and firewall profiles for the other antivirus program, click on each of the drop-downs and select Disabled in the corresponding HARDENING PROFILE, PROTECTION PROFILE and FIREWALL columns. Click the uber Save button at the bottom of the Web console.

Apply the updated Windows streamlined policy on the CSP agents deployed on the systems on which you want CSP and the other antivirus program to coexist.