Norton Internet Security 2008

Norton is notorious for producing quality security software that has protected computers and families for years.

Symantec, Norton’s manufacturer, has packed award-winning antispyware and antivirus features into an attractive, user-friendly interface. This is a great option for someone who wants maximum security with little hassle. And with a price tag of $59.99, you can protect up to 3 PCs with Norton Internet Security 2008.

Norton Internet Security doesn’t offer parental controls at this time and has some ongoing support issues that have yet to be fixed completely. If these issues are a deal breaker for you, you may want to refer to one of our higher ranked products.

Firewall:

Norton has really put some work into their firewall in it’s newest release. The default configuration is powerful, but doesn't cripple your computer experience. For those out there that have a need for custom firewall rules, Norton has a section dedicated to setting them up that is easy to use, but still powerful enough to be useful. There is also an option within the program to reset the firewall to it’s default settings in the event that your advanced rules didn't work exactly as planned.

Antivirus:

Norton Antivirus passed all our tests and is ISCA, VB 100% and W.C.L Level 1 and 2 certified. If the above sentence makes no sense to you, just take it all as a spectacular compliment to Norton Internet Security. These certifications are difficult to obtain, and shows a real commitment by Symantec to keep working and offer one of the best products in the field.

Norton Internet Security 2008 found and removed all of the virus infected files we planted on our test system prior to installation. The real-time scanner also caught all of our newly introduced viruses. For a bit of fun, we took our testing a bit further by compiling several viruses directly on the test system. Norton Internet Security caught and stopped all of our tests without even flinching.

Antispyware:

Norton Internet Security 2008 performed well in the Anti-Spyware tests we performed. It impressed us with its phishing filter, which integrates with both Internet Explorer and Firefox. In all, the spyware scanning and prevention features included with Norton Internet Security worked well and kept our surfing experience pleasant and spyware free.

Other Security/Features:

Norton Internet Security 2008 includes an Identity Safe feature that helps keep your usernames and passwords secure. Identity Safe is a central database that encrypts your usernames and password keeping them safe from illegitimate websites. Identity Safe also includes a list of online shopping and bank websites that your transactions are matched against. If the site you are purchasing something from is not listed, it will warn you to make sure you double check that you are at the right place doing the right thing.

One thing that we feel should be included in any security suite is the ability to set up parental controls. Norton Internet Security 2008 doesn't offer this option.

Ease of Use:

This is a program you can install on your computer and forget about it if you choose. As soon as you install Norton Internet Security 2008, all of the security features are preset to defaults, so you never have to touch, tweak or adjust the program ever again. On the other hand, Symantec does include the ability to customize many aspects of the program if you like.

The interface is easy to navigate with well labeled buttons. Additionally, all options have a detailed description of what they do. There are some options that are hard to find, but once you get a feel for the program, you will be able to navigate without any problems.

Ease of Installation/Setup:

Setup is simple and the program will guide you through the entire process by asking simple questions so you get the security you need and want. We didn't have any problems during the installation and setup process.

One of the things we didn't like was the time it took to update the program after the install had finished. To download the update and install took well over 20 minutes. This is only a one time thing though as the rest of the updates are normally scheduled to come at night when most people are asleep.

There was also the uninstallation of the program that was still not as polished as it should have been. It appeared to remove everything and said that it was finished, but left quite a few registry entries and several directories behind.

Help/Support:

Symantec offers a wide range of support options with Norton Internet Security 2008. The self help options offered within Norton Internet Security 2008 are quite extensive and the Symantec website has support options ranging from a knowledge base to live chat. Phone support comes in at $9.99 per incident, but seems to change frequently. The other support options are free.

The live chat feature is quite useful, but requires a completely separate download to use. The wait times for live chat on our tests were around 20 minutes each.

Summary:

Norton Internet Security 2008 is a solid program that will keep your system running smooth and clean. In tests our computers ran smoothly and didn't slow down as much as during testing of some of the other security suites. Symantec offers great online support options to help with any issues you may have, and continually updates their software to keep it ahead of the curve and ahead of any virus threats that may come out. Live support options such as phone support or live chat are both sub par and could use some work.

Norton Internet Security 2008 caused some problems after being removed from our test system as well. Google Desktop stopped working as well as all of our instant message clients that we use during testing.

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/137753191/Norton_Internet_Security_2008.zip