Is your antivirus detecting a virus in the Topoedu software?
First of all, stay calm. Rest assured that neither the ZIP file nor the Topoedu software contains any virus or malicious software.
The powerful Topoedu software includes anti-reverse engineering protection. In other words, it is equipped with defense mechanisms to prevent piracy. These defense mechanisms may trigger what are known as “false positives.”
Below, we outline all the aspects you should be aware of regarding false positives.
The powerful Topoedu software includes anti-reverse engineering protection. In other words, it is equipped with defense mechanisms to prevent piracy. These defense mechanisms may trigger what are known as “false positives.”
Below, we outline all the aspects you should be aware of regarding false positives.
What is a false positive?
A false positive occurs in an antivirus when it mistakenly detects a virus in an application or, even if it doesn’t detect one, it suspects the application and blocks it. You can find more information on the following website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antivirus_software.
Why does a false positive occur?
It’s important to understand that a false positive is detected by a particular antivirus among many different brands. Since we launched this software (formerly known as Measurement Manager) in 2015, we have noticed that two specific antivirus brands, especially but only occasionally, produce false positives. These brands are NORTON and AVAST FREE. Since 2016, AVAST FREE no longer detects false positives, and with NORTON, they sometimes occur, and sometimes they don’t (depending on the version of the antivirus you are using). Occasionally, other antivirus programs may also detect a false positive.
These types of "false alerts" are relatively common in powerful engineering software, and we have seen cases with globally recognized brands, such as CYPE, as mentioned on their website: http://descargas.cype.es
What security measures are applied at www.topoedu.es?
Our products are compiled on a PC equipped with multiple security mechanisms, including Kaspersky Premium and Windows Defender. Kaspersky Total Security has been consistently ranked among the best antivirus programs on the market for years. You can find articles about it in various specialized magazines and websites.
Additionally, our servers are continuously monitored by SiteLock (a trust icon you will see at the bottom of all pages on the www.topoedu.es website).
How can I be sure it doesn’t contain a virus?
Unfortunately, in the world of computing, it’s impossible to be 100% certain that a computer is virus-free. However, we can make comparisons in the case of false positives. Since some antivirus programs do not detect viruses while others do, the best approach is to compare.
For these situations, there is a website called VIRUSTOTAL (acquired by Google in 2012) that uses the engines of 65 antivirus programs from leading brands. Since we launched Measurement Manager (now Topoedu), this website has been a key reference, where over the years, 50 out of the 65 antivirus engines have consistently reported that the software is completely free of malware.
Some of the top antivirus brands that trust our software include Kaspersky, Microsoft, Panda, ESET-NOD32, AVG, AVAST, ZoneAlarm, Ad-Aware, TrendMicro, eScan, and Symantec.
Additionally, the long track record of our software, with over 4,000 users worldwide, is a testament to its quality. In Spain, Measurement Manager (now Topoedu) is also used in several Spanish universities (Jaén, Cartagena, Castilla y León, etc.), as well as in various international institutions. It is also employed by some official organizations with strict IT controls, such as the National Research Center on Human Evolution (managed by the State Administration), and several municipalities and regional governments, including Marbella, Murcia, and Madrid, among others.
If the software doesn’t contain a virus, how should I proceed with a false positive?
Once you are certain that the software poses no risk but an antivirus reports a false positive, you should create an exception. All antivirus programs acknowledge that they are not 100% accurate. Therefore, they include the option to create exceptions for trusted programs.
Refer to your antivirus instructions on how to create exceptions. Generally, to create an exception, you will need to:
If the false positive occurs before installation:
- Download the ZIP/RAR installer file again from the User Area.
- Manually create an exception for the file topoedu.exe.
- Download the ZIP/RAR file again.
- Install the software from the previously downloaded ZIP/RAR file.
Sometimes, the false positive occurs after installation. If so:
- Manually create an exception for the software topoedu.exe.
- Download the ZIP/RAR file again.
- Reinstall the software from the previous ZIP/RAR file.
For more details on these processes, you should look up information specific to your antivirus on how to create exceptions and handle false positives.
We always recommend consulting the Topoedu installation manual before proceeding with the installation.