It's a classic cybersecurity paradox: two of your most valuable allies - your antivirus and your backup software - sometimes clash. Although their common goal is to protect your data, the antivirus may identify your backup solution as a threat and block it from running.
How can this be explained, and above all, how can you ensure they coexist smoothly within your information system?
False positives: when the antivirus is overzealous
When an antivirus blocks legitimate software, this is called a "false positive". To detect threats, modern antivirus programs no longer rely solely on signature analysis (a list of known viruses). They use heuristic and behavioral analysis.
In other words, they monitor what software does. And backup software, by definition, behaves in a way that looks strangely like malware:
It scans the entire file tree
It reads massive volumes of data
It opens outbound connections to transfer this data to the cloud
For a somewhat overzealous antivirus, these actions targeting your sensitive files look like an attempt at data exfiltration or the beginning of ransomware encryption.
The three main causes of blocked backups
More specifically, three modules of your security suite can interfere with your backups:
Real-time scanning: By scanning each file as the backup software tries to read it, the antivirus can lock access to the file or slow the process down considerably, causing the backup job to fail.
The firewall: To secure traffic, the firewall may block specific ports or the IP addresses of remote storage servers, preventing data from being uploaded to the digital vault.
The anti-ransomware module: These dedicated shields monitor any mass modification of files. When they see the backup software handling your folders, they may suspend its activity as a precaution.
How does Kiwi Backup handle this issue?
To limit these incidents, our software is whitelisted with Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Avast and Panda, and steps are under way with other vendors. Starting with version 4.4.95, improvements are included to reduce the risk of false positives. If the software is blocked, we recommend checking that you have the latest version, contacting support or using VirusTotal to scan the .exe file and confirm that it is safe.
Thanks to whitelisting and continuous improvements, false positives remain rare, and users can continue to run their backups with complete peace of mind.
4 steps to reconcile your antivirus and your backup
If you notice slowdowns or backup errors, here's how to restore optimal protection:
Declare process exclusions: In your antivirus settings, add your backup software's executable to the "whitelist" or scan exclusions. This allows the software to read files without being interrupted.
Configure traffic rules (firewall): Make sure the communication ports (often port 443 for HTTPS, or vendor-specific ports) are open for outbound traffic to your backup provider's IP addresses.
Check the digital signature: Make sure you are using the latest version of your backup agent. Updates often include certificate renewals to ensure recognition by security tools.
Stagger schedules: Avoid running a full antivirus scan at the same time as your backup. This competition for CPU and disk resources is often the cause of unexplained crashes.
Conclusion: toward collaborative security
The security of your data depends on a balance between detection (antivirus) and resilience (backup). Rather than letting them clash, careful configuration turns them into complementary partners.
By choosing a sovereign, certified solution like Kiwi Backup, you benefit not only from software recognized by security standards, but also from expert technical support that can help you configure your environment for complete peace of mind.