Following on from Symantec's Norton Internet
Security 2007 is Norton 360, a new PC and internet security suite with more protection and features.
Norton 360 PC and internet security suite is split into four categories making it easier to navigate, although most of the utilities that you will use are in the PC security section. The sections are split as:
- PC security
- Transaction security
- Backup and restore
- PC tune-up.
Installation of the software is very straight forward, making it easy to set up whether your a new user or have used Norton (Symantec's) products before. On beginning the installation the Norton 360 security suite scans your system for any possible threats before it installs. Once the installation is complete the software will automatically begin a "LiveUpate" to update the software to protect you against the latest threats from viruses and the like. Once the LiveUpdate is complete Norton 360 security suite will begin a virus and spyware scan.
The Magic of Symantec's Norton 360 security suite
When you open up Norton 360 PC security suite you will see the 4 categories PC security, transaction security, backup and restore and PC tuneup. The first one, PC security is where most of the utilities are based, this includes the virus scanner, firewall, intrusion detection and extras like your browser vulnerability.
The transaction security section offers protection against phishing and guards against other threats that may affect online security. Backup and restore is a powerful feature that allows online or local (backing up to a hard disk or optical disc connected to the computer) backups of files and folders. The backup and restore section does exactly what it say's on the tin, backs up and restores all your important data, files, photos and more. The PC tuneup section isn't so much of a tuneup but more of a clean up of internet temporary and windows files.
The way all of these tools are handled is perhaps the most impressive aspect of the new Norton 360 suite. The software is perfect for both new users and those who don’t want to get involved with tweaking and fine tuning, but instead want total automated protection from the off.
Symantec's Norton 360 PC security suite is extremely easy to use. For those users who want to delve deeper there are enough advanced settings to do so. Firewall configuration, perhaps the most likely place users will want or need to make adjustments, is far more visual and far easier to control than in most other packages we’ve looked at recently. You can choose exactly what security sweeps should be run, and create schedules with ease. Thanks to the powerful backup tools, you’ll get peace of mind that the most important files on the computer are safe.
Norton seems to have done a good job of keeping system overheads – the load the program itself puts on the computer's power and resources – down as much as possible. It’s a vast improvement over previous versions of Norton Internet Security, the program Norton 360 replaces, and a big plus, given that many competing rivals haven’t achieved the same success.
If anything, the software is almost too easy to use. The PC tune-up section is a case in point: while scans can be set off with a couple of mouse clicks, there's not a lot of control over what the software is actually doing.
There are also a few holes in the product set compared with McAfee and other rivals, such as the lack of a wireless security feature and limited browser support. These drawbacks aren’t nearly enough to detract from an excellent set of tools that have been superbly combined into the most user-friendly security suite we’ve seen.
Vista compatible: Yes
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