Norton 360

Editor's Review

Symantec's 'Norton' series is one of the most well-known and respected names in antivirus software, and the latest edition of Norton 360 continues to offer full system protection and dedicated PC security. A full-featured PC security suite, Norton 360 Version 3 offers a range of improvements over its predecessor editions including:

an improved and streamlined user interface

updated and improved virus definitions and scanning methods for PC and identity protection

optimized system performance and better resource usage.

The most hyped new edition, however, is the addition of 2GB of online backup. Whilst this is significantly less space than provided in the Premier package, it is still sufficiently handy to store all your valuable data in case of a PC meltdown, or just to ease some of the load on your beleagured machine making it faster and more reliable.

While up against some difficult competition, Norton 360 Version 4 proves that Symantec can provide a highly powerful and user-friendly security suite. With a new streamlined interface, Norton 360 Version 4 offers many of the same features that Norton users have grown to love, all provided in a slick and beginner-friendly interface. Actions and protection options are divided between four different cells, allowing users to easily pick and edit their PC security, identity protection, data backups, and PC performance.

With always-on virus protection, Norton 360 Version 4 provides ongoing security and PC protection for home and office users. Definitions are updated on a per-minute basis, keeping users protected and secure from the latest viruses as soon as they hit the public.

The new 'Quorum' detection method even seeks to rat out previously unknown malware using advanced methods like detecting the originating IP address for the file and assessing its threat. Protection levels can easily be controlled and modified as it is an opt-in system, giving power users the ability to customize their virus protection for minimal system resource usage or full protection.

On the performance side, Norton 360 offers a range of tools to improve PC performance and system stability. While still using a significant portion of system resources, Norton 360 has been improved from previous releases. High-end PC users will barely notice a difference in terms of PC performance, while low-end users may notice some slight slowdown while Norton 360 is running.

During system scanning or data restoration, performance is noticeably poor. However, with the addition of the new Norton Insight tool, users can bypass the need to scan much of their PC. Rather than arbitrarily scanning every file, Norton 360 checks file definitions against a previous archive, eliminating unchanged files from its system scan.

Norton 360: What We Liked

The user interface is significantly improved and optimized from previous versions, allowing users to quickly and easily cycle between four different control and security interfaces.

Norton Insight minimizes scanning time and cuts down on resource usage.

2GB of long-time-coming online backup.

Virus definition updates are delivered every few minutes, not every few hours.

Quorum detection technology is right up with the front-runners.

Norton 360: What We Didn't Like

System performance can be sluggish, especially during scanning or definition updates.

While the software footprint has been improved from previous editions, Norton 360 Version 4 is still a slight resource hog.

Symantec Support

Online support is available for Norton 360 users via the Symantec website. Users can access product FAQs and self-service information, or contract support through live chat, email, or toll-free phone.

About Symantec

Founded in 1982, Symantec has grown from a small startup into one of the world's largest software companies. With over 17,500 employees in 40 countries, Symantec's software is used by millions of home users and small businesses worldwide.