Norton Antivirus, developed and distributed by Symantec in 1991 is a strong contender in the security suite game. The product has 25 years of evolution under its belt and it definitely packs-a-punch when it comes to design and usability! Symantec haven’t just concentrated on the private sector but have also generated a ‘small business’ solution which allows centralized management from the cloud. Being one of the most identifiable brands in the antivirus industry, (possibly due to it’s original colour scheme?) means that software issues in any of the versions released could mean huge amounts of stick from the media. However it’s not all bad news, Norton have more PC magazine editors’ choice awards than any other security company. PCMAG.com have awarded Norton their editors’ choice 37 times!
Features
Depending on the suite you decide to go for, the feature set will vary. All suites come with the basic Virus, Spyware, Malware and Online threat defender, meaning even if you opt for the cheapest, most basic version you’ll still be covered by the fundamentals.
If you feel that having the standard protection isn’t adequate enough, then the next solution doesn’t really offer a lot more - for an extra $10 per year, you’ll get smartphone protection, access to an online web portal (which could be seen as a gimmicky feature) and protection for up to another 4 devices. We think this is the deciding factor for spending the extra few quid, as the average american has 3 or more devices connecting to the internet.
Security
Like we said earlier, Norton has 25 years of experience so you’d expect a reliable, stable and quality product. However some reports say differently. Norton has been known to detect completely benevolent software as being malicious and by doing so leaves the software useless. It’s not always better to be safe than sorry, especially not in this case.
Support
Norton have a top notch support section on their website, head over to the Need Help? menu on the navigation bar where you will be introduced to categoric support, from help with Downloading/Installing to Threat removal. However, if you haven’t got the time to explore the website for your query, then you have the ability to search the whole support site. If none of this interests you, or maybe you just want to be in contact a human who can give you a definite answer, scroll on down to the bottom of the page where you will find Contact Support. Live chat is the most popular option - very minimum wait time and you don’t have to move from your seat! Annoyingly, if you want to pick up the phone to call someone, getting access to Norton’s contact number is harder than it should be, you will have to fill out a rather unnecessarily-long form.
Affordability
At $3.35 pm for the standard package, which allows protection for only one device and only offers the most simplest set of features, it’s nowhere near the most cost effective product on the market, luckily they do offer a Deluxe suite which significantly improves the cost effectiveness. The Deluxe package costs $49.99 but for this you get 5 times the amount of protection! What we mean by this is that you can cover up to 5 devices, including Windows, Macs, Smartphones and Tablets (Android or iOS). This works out at just under $10 per device, which we think is very reasonable.
