Protection From Threats Including Spyware And Spam

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SYMANTEC’S NORTON INTERNET SECURITY 2004 PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION AGAINST ONLINE THREATS INCLUDING SPYWARE AND SPAM

Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), the world leader in Internet security, today announced Norton Internet Security 2004, an easy-to-use and comprehensive online security and privacy suite for home and small office PC users. Norton Internet Security 2004 will provide comprehensive protection against today’s most prevalent Internet threats and will now offer expanded protection against spyware and unwanted email. Scheduled to be available by mid-September, Norton Internet Security 2004 will include Symantec’s best-of-breed antivirus, firewall, intrusion detection, privacy protection, spam filtering, and content filtering solutions in a single tightly integrated suite.
“Users are at risk from an increasing number of Internet threats such as the recent Blaster and Sobig worms. This increase in attacks is driven in part by the growing use of always-on broadband services and laptop computers,” said Richard Batchelar, Country Manager, Symantec New Zealand. “With the release of our effective yet simple-to-use Internet security suite, Symantec is making it easier for all users – from novices to professionals – to secure their systems.”
Protection Against Viruses and Spyware
Norton Internet Security 2004 will include Norton AntiVirus 2004, which introduces expanded threat detection. This new technology identifies certain emerging non-virus threats such as spyware, adware, and keystroke logging programs. These rogue applications can compromise system security, pry into confidential data, and track online behaviour.
Norton AntiVirus 2004 will also proactively protect users of file-exchange services such as peer-to-peer networks by scanning for viruses in compressed file archives. Norton AntiVirus scans both incoming and outgoing email and automatically removes viruses, worms, and Trojan horse infections as well as viruses hidden in email and instant message attachments. In addition, worm- and script-blocking technologies automatically defend users against known and unknown threats without the need for virus definitions. As a result, Norton AntiVirus will effectively protect Norton Internet Security 2004 users against an expansive range of malicious online code.
Filtering Unwanted Email
Norton Internet Security 2004 will also include the new Norton AntiSpam 2004, which will automatically detect and filter out unwanted commercial email, or spam, at the desktop. Spam is a growing threat both to productivity and security. It can clog email systems and often proliferates online scams. Norton AntiSpam 2004 will work with any standard POP3 email program and will integrate automatically with the latest versions of Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, and Eudora to efficiently filter and eliminate incoming spam directly from the user’s email in-box. Norton AntiSpam 2004 will offer multiple filtering layers to minimise the false positives that typically plague other spam-fighting products. As a result, users will be able to continue to receive the email they want while unwanted messages are filtered out.
Securing Users On Wireless Networks
Norton Internet Security 2004 will include Norton Personal Firewall 2004 as well. This new version of Norton Personal Firewall will introduce innovative technology to help laptop users get immediate protection from online threats regardless of the network to which they connect. When a laptop user connects his or her PC to a new or previously saved network, Norton Personal Firewall 2004 will adjust firewall settings accordingly. This technology ensures that users who connect to multiple networks in multiple locations enjoy appropriate online protection wherever they go. Norton Personal Firewall 2004 will also include a new usability component that gives users control of firewall settings from the convenience of their Internet Explorer Web browser.
Norton Personal Firewall will feature robust intrusion detection technology to thwart serious threats such as Bugbear, Nimda, and Code Red. This system will add another full layer of security to the perimeter protection of the firewall. The intrusion detection system will inspect the actual content of the Internet traffic, automatically and effectively blocking Internet attacks.
Norton Internet Security 2004 will also include powerful privacy protection technology. This feature prevents confidential information from being sent without user authorization to unsecured Web sites or through email, Microsoft Office attachments, and instant messaging services. For additional security, Norton Internet Security will provide tamper-proof password protection that prevents security settings from being turned off manually or by a Trojan horse virus.
Blocking Inappropriate Web Content
Norton Internet Security 2004 will also help parents keep their children safe from inappropriate material while online. Norton Parental Control will block access to newsgroups and Web sites that may not be suitable for children. For increased flexibility, Norton Parental Control will enable users to set up different Internet access privileges for each child and adult using the PC.
Symantec’s automatic LiveUpdate will ensure that all products in the suite are kept current with recent protection updates and technologies to guard against the latest Internet threats. In addition, to protect users from pirated or counterfeit software, Norton Internet Security 2004 will now include a product activation component. As a result, Norton Internet Security 2004 is designed to provide users with maximum online protection while requiring minimum user intervention.
Norton Internet Security 2004 Professional /Norton Personal Firewall 2004
Symantec’s Norton Internet Security 2004 Professional and a stand-alone version of Norton Personal Firewall 2004 are also set for mid-September availability. Norton Internet Security 2004 Professional will include all of the components of Norton Internet Security 2004 and will add advanced features for small office or home office users and professionals. Data recovery technology will protect and restore important applications and files from accidental deletion and virus damage. Data cleaning technology will eliminate all traces of unneeded confidential files.
Advanced Web tools will promote productivity by deleting unneeded files left over from Internet sessions as well as preventing dial-up Internet sessions from being interrupted. Norton Internet Security 2004 Professional will also enable a workgroup administrator to create multiple user profiles to limit Internet access to certain categories of Web sites that could thwart productivity. Norton Internet Security 2004 Professional will be available as a single license as well as in 5- and 10-user packs for small offices.
Pricing and Availability
Norton Internet Security 2004, Norton Internet Security 2004 Professional, and Norton Personal Firewall 2004 are expected to be available in mid-September at various retail locations for an estimated retail price of NZ$169.95, NZ$199.95 and NZ$119.95 respectively.
About Symantec
Symantec, the world leader in Internet security technology, provides a broad range of content and network security software and appliance solutions to individuals, enterprises and service providers. The company is a leading provider of client, gateway and server security solutions for virus protection, firewall and virtual private network, vulnerability management, intrusion detection, Internet content and email filtering, remote management technologies and security services to enterprises and service providers around the world. Symantec’s Norton brand of consumer security products is a leader in worldwide retail sales and industry awards. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has worldwide operations in 36 countries. For more information, please visit www.symantec.com.
###

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please view the Symantec Press Center at http://www.symantec.com/PressCenter/ on Symantec's Web site.

Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks or registered trademarks, in the United States and certain other countries, of Symantec Corporation. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT: This press release contains forward-looking statements, including forecasts of future revenue and earnings, expected activities, and other financial and business results that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied by this press release. Such risk factors include, among others: the sustainability of recent growth rates, particularly in consumer products; the anticipation of the growth of certain market segments, particularly enterprise security; the positioning of Symantec's products in those segments; the competitive environment in the software industry; general market conditions, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, changes to operating systems and product strategy by vendors of operating systems; and whether Symantec can successfully develop new products and the degree to which these gain market acceptance. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is contained in the Risk Factors sections of Symantec’s previously filed Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 4, 2003. Symantec assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release except as otherwise required by law.

© Scoop Media