Norton Antivirus

The Norton Antivirus is a security software built and designed by Symantec Corporation. This corporation whose headquarter is in California, United States of America was founded in 1982 by Gary Hendrix. Symantec released its first version of Norton antivirus software in February 1991 with a commercial proprietary license with its latest release in 2018.

See the full product portfolio here.

The Norton Antivirus has received a lot of recognition, i.e., PC Magazine Editors’ Choice Awards 2017, AV-Test Best Protection award 2017, etc. It comes in different versions such as Norton Security, Norton Antivirus Basic, etc. It has a customer base of 175 million people.

The Norton Antivirus is designed to detect and remove viruses, malware from the computer. It also ensures that its user experiences a secured web browsing by monitoring web pages, files received on the system. It aids in the prevention of malicious attacks by scanning every file on the PC and removing them immediately.

The Norton Antivirus doesn’t have any free version of its software. However, every of its paid software offers a 30-day free trial period. This software can run on various Windows PCs operating systems. 

Protection capabilities

The Norton Antivirus package serves as a protective layer for computers. It is used to protect information such as image files, documents, financial information, passwords, etc. This software provides 5-layer protection for its users i.e.

• Intrusion prevention wall:This feature involves protecting the web browser and operating system by searching for loophole within its code. The antivirus blocks all suspicious files and signals received on the system after inspecting the traffic on the device.
• Antivirus file scan: Malware is often related in its code. Thus, Norton Antivirus scans the system using the selected scan option and records every trace of malicious attacks or similar code. After that, it quarantines the file and deletes it from the computer to prevent future harm. Every newly found malware code is then added to the global threat intelligence database.
• Reputation database:This feature is only possible on a Windows-based PC. This software reviews every file downloaded on the computer to confirm its sources. Files from reputable developers, with recognized signature, are given free access to the Local Disk while files from unrecognized sources are flagged by the software, and after that quarantined.
• Sonar behavior monitoring: Malware has various functions such as leaking private information to external sources. Norton Antivirus perform routine checks for viruses and malware and on noticing any suspicious behavior, it stops the action.
• Powerful erase and repair: Some antivirus supposedly quarantines and deletes malware on the computer. However, a rescan shows the same malware exists on the computer. Norton antivirus advanced remediation tools like Power Eraser, Norton Boot, and Recovery provides a deep scan of the PC and permanently destroys every deeply-rooted malware.

Features of Norton Antivirus

With a variety of products, the Norton Antivirus has some fantastic features which have kept it as a good customer choice for the past 28 years. We have tested this software and listed a few of these features below:

Identity theft protection

Following a collaboration between Norton Security and LifeLock, an identity protection feature was added to the Norton Security software. This feature provides a package with a lot of benefits such as reimbursement of stolen funds, personal expense compensation, etc. if at any time, its user experiences an identity theft.

Smart scan

Norton Antivirus provides a set of scan options for effectiveness and user management.

• Quick scan:This scan option focus on the crucial locations on the computer which viruses and malware often target. This option takes lesser time when compared to a full scan since it does not scan the whole computer.
• Full-scan: This scan focuses on every file and folder on the computer. Otherwise known as full-system scan, Norton Antivirus scans boot records, files to which the user has access. When this scan is run using the administrator account on Windows, it runs a more-in-depth scan when compared to scanning with the guest account. This scan operation can take hours depending on the computer, memory, etc.
• Custom scan: This is a selective scan as the user chooses the file or folder on the computer or external drive to be scanned for malware.

When scan operations are completed, this results pane shows the number of files scanned, the security risks detected, the security risks resolved and the total number of items that require attention. Recommended actions involve repairing infected files or folders or deleting them.

Multiple-device protection

Norton Antivirus software provides multiple device protection for all its paid packages. Norton Security Standard & Antivirus Basic protects just one device, Norton Security Deluxe + LifeLock can be used for five devices while Norton Security Premium can be used for ten devices. This feature is not only for Windows devices. It is available for mobile phones, Mac inclusive.

Parental controls

Norton Antivirus provides parental control features. This feature helps to make the web safe for kids to explore, monitor their online activity and time their online presence. You can prevent your kids from accessing websites and social media platforms inappropriate for their age.

Protection against malware

Norton Antivirus is a recommendable software that protects the computer from malware, spyware, Trojans, ransomware, phishing attacks, and other online threats. It performs daily routine checks on the PC to keep it safe and free from threats. Also, it has different scan options to ensure 100% protection is assured.

Compatibility

The Norton Antivirus is compatible with almost all versions of Windows 10 except 10S. It is compatible with all versions of Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7 (all versions), Windows Vista, Windows XP (32-bit operating system), and Windows Home/Professional. However, we observed that some protection features are not accessible through the Start screen browsers on Windows 8. Also, the latest features are no longer supported on Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Pros and Cons of Norton Antivirus

The Norton Antivirus package provides adequate protection for PC. In this section, we review the advantages and disadvantages of using this software.

PROS

• Easy to Install:This software is easy to install. The software requires internet connectivity to download. After downloading the file after payment, click on the installation file and follow the instructions to install.
• Automatic Updates: Norton Antivirus updates its software automatically from its database after installation. There is no need to access the website for an update.
• Excellent scores in protection tests: We have tested this software and found it 100% protective. It provides adequate security against virus or malware attacks.
• Additional features:This software has additional features like spam filter which filters every message, emails sent to the computer. It also has a password manager which stores passwords and other vital information.

CONS

• It is not free/It is expensive:Unlike other antivirus software like Avast antivirus, and Kaspersky antivirus, Norton antivirus doesn’t offer any free software to its customers. All products Norton offers are paid. Norton only provides a 30-day trial period on all its products.
• Slow Scan:This software scan operation is relatively slow. When compared to other scans, the Norton full-system scan is unusually slow.
• Limited Tech Support

Premium versions

The Norton Antivirus Basic has higher versions namely Norton Security Standard, Norton Security Deluxe, and Norton Standard Premium. Usually, these three versions are more expensive. Norton products are designed to have compatibility with most computers produced. Antivirus Basic and Security Standard can be used for a maximum of ten devices while Security Deluxe can be used on up to five devices and ten devices for Standard Premium. 

There are other products Norton offers such as

• Norton Small Business
• Norton Mobile Security
• Norton Password Manager
• Norton Secure VPN
• Norton Privacy Manager
• Norton Family Premier
• Norton Utilities Premium

Summary

In this article, we have reviewed the Norton Antivirus and found it to be excellent security software. With a variety of scan options and amazing features, the Norton Antivirus 2019 is one of the best antiviruses of 2019. It can be used to defend the computer against all forms of malware attacks.

The Norton Antivirus is not free to use. However, for access to improved features, it is recommended to buy the Norton Security Premium. This software is compatible with most Windows-based PCs.