by Playfuls Staff |
26th February 2007

Symantec announced the availability of the newest product -
Norton 360. The comprehensive solution combines Symantec's proven,
industry-leading technologies for [more] antivirus, antispyware, firewall,
intrusion protection, antiphishing, backup and tuneup, eliminating the need to
purchase and manage multiple products. The all-in-one security service protects
computers and the information stored in them from Internet threats and risks,
as well as data loss, allowing computer users to freely engage in their
everyday online activities without worry. Norton 360 helps restore computer
users' trust in the online world with transaction security features that
protect against online fraud. Norton 360 also diagnoses and fixes common
computer problems, optimizing PC performance and speed.
Automation, breadth of functionality, user experience and
performance are the key design principles for Norton 360. Designed to work as
automatically as possible, Norton 360 provides comprehensive protection while
performing its duties in the background without interrupting users' computing
experience. The product is designed to offer a user experience that is
reassuring, helpful and unobtrusive as the underlying technologies are
seamlessly integrated for maximum performance and efficiency.
Norton 360 is designed for mainstream computer users who
require a comprehensive security solution that's easy-to-use and requires
minimal user interaction. The product delivers complete protection across five
categories of functionality:
-- PC Security -
Norton 360 features Symantec's industry-leading protection against a wide range
of threats and risks, including viruses, spyware, hackers and more. The
Symantec Online Network for Advanced Response (SONAR) is also included in
Norton 360, providing behavior-based malware detection that identifies new
threats in real-time based on application behavior. Norton 360 includes the
ability to remove kernel mode rootkits through heuristics technology. Rootkits
can pose a threat by granting attackers unauthorized access to confidential
data on users' computers. Norton 360 also boasts a smart
firewall, intrusion prevention, vulnerability assessments and network
detection, which automatically optimizes firewall protection using different
security settings when
connecting to various types of networks.
-- Transaction
Security - Antiphishing protection gives consumers the confidence they need to
shop, bank and conduct other transactions on the Internet by protecting their
online identity. Utilizing black list and heuristic techniques to recognize
both known and unknown phishing sites, dangerous sites are clearly marked
through seamless integration of the Norton Toolbar into Internet Explorer 6 and
higher Web browsers. Norton 360 also
features Web Site Authentication, which verifies the authenticity of trusted
brands that are commonly phished.
-- Backup and Restore
- Norton 360 introduces new local and online backup and restore capabilities. Online backup is
secured via users' Norton Accounts as well as through encryption during file
transfer and on the storage servers. The product includes 2 GB of online
storage, and additional online storage can be purchased at $29.99 for 5 GB,
$49.99 for 10 GB and $69.99 for 25 GB. Norton 360 automatically detects new or
changed files and incrementally backs up those changes through custom backup scheduling
or during idle time. Users can choose where to back up their content from a
range of storage destinations including internal drives, CD/DVD drives, USB
drives, mapped network drives, external
hard drives or secured online backup.
-- PC Tuneup - Norton
360 identifies and removes unnecessary clutter such as Windows Temp files,
Internet Temp files and Internet History files. The PC Tuneup feature also analyzes and defragments hard disks for
faster and more efficient operation.
Norton 360's Smart Background Scheduler monitors the system for user input, CPU
usage and disk activity, throttling the product's tasks and minimizing impact
on the computing experience. When idle time parameters are met, the Background Scheduler
automatically initiates remaining
scans, backups and tuneups.
-- Embedded Support -
Norton 360 also includes embedded support, which automatically diagnoses and
resolves common issues or guides users to easy issue resolution from within the context of the product. Users have
easy access to Norton 360 technical support via phone, as well as free support via
live chat and e-mail.
Norton 360 customers can also receive AntiSpam and Parental
Controls through an optional add-on pack at no additional charge.
Norton 360 is backed by Symantec's unmatched security
knowledge and assets, including the company's extensive Global Intelligence
Network, which consists of the Symantec DeepSight Threat Management System and
Symantec Managed Security Services, providing more than 40,000 sensors
monitoring network activity in more than 180 countries. Norton 360 also takes
advantage of Symantec's Phish Report Network, an extensive antifraud community
where members contribute and receive fraudulent Web site addresses for alerting
and filtering, to protect consumers against fraudulent Web sites.
Norton 360 is now available for purchase through the
Symantec online store at www.symantecstore.com. It will be available for
purchase at various retail locations and online retailers in March 2007. The
optional add-on pack will be available to Norton 360 customers in mid-March
2007.
The suggested retail price of Norton 360 is US$79.99
(includes one-year service subscription to use the product and receive
Symantec's protection updates). Norton 360 can be installed on up to three PCs.