Norton Internet Security 2006 – a Review
        By Bill James     March 2006

Choosing software to fully protect your computer from malicious attacks usually consist of installing several different software packages for anti-virus, ad blocker, firewall and anti-spam. You want software to automatically filter spam and dangerous phishing email, remove viruses, Trojan horses, and worms. You need a firewall that blocks intruders and identity thieves. A firewall that will also hide your computer from hackers and give you control over all incoming and outgoing Internet traffic. You will want anti-virus software to scan email and IM attachments for virus threats. If you have a serious virus outbreak you want your software to adjust your security settings accordingly. And for your children a product that blocks web sites you don't want them to visit and lastly control to block banner ads and popup windows. In short, you need a multi-layered approach for continuous protection against all types of threats with a reliable level of accuracy.

One solution that accomplishes all of this is Norton Internet Security (NIS). Most of you have used or heard of Norton’s anti-virus as one of the earliest anti-virus programs, but how many of you have considered using a totally integrated solution like Norton’s Internet Security. NIS has been on the market for several years and with each successive year the product has improved.

I have used NIS since the 2004 version and recently installed NIS 2006 the latest iteration of this software and found that, in this new version, installation is painlessly easy. Just pop the CD in and NIS does the rest. Most of the setup is automatic. NIS first checks your system to insure that there will be no problems with the installation then installation of the software begins. The whole process takes about 30 to 40 minutes. NIS configures itself to be unobtrusive in managing your protection.

The new Norton Protection Center that summarizes your current protection for different activities such as emailing and Web browsing and this monitoring is continuous without being intrusive. NIS does not have to be started for you to be advised that your protection level changed. Norton Protection Center alerts you if you need to take urgent action. You perhaps have noticed that in some categories I have limited coverage. The Norton Protection Center is also used with Norton Systems Works, but since I do not have that program installed, categories that are covered by that program are shown as unavailable or not installed – hence the limited coverage alert.

As with previous versions of NIS, the one thing that I like is the transparency of the program. Security solutions can be complex and confusing. You may not thoroughly understand all of the threats and risks associated with their specific computing activities; however it is important to have a single destination point on your PC that answers the question “Am I safe?” The Norton Protection Center fills that requirement and more over it is transparent as possible requiring minimum user intervention and minimum maintenance, but it is also adaptable for users who wish to make informed decisions. Hit the home button and you will be taken to the heart of NIS where all the information and tools you need to customize your installation.

New threats appear everyday and each appear to be more malicious. Updates to your virus definitions should be automatic and available on a regular basis. Lastly, you should be provided with the recommended actions for handling all levels of threat with the removal process being as automated and complete as possible. In my opinion NIS offers all of these advantages. If you are a computer user that wants a complete solution that gives peace of mind without unnecessarily alarming you of hundreds of items being detected when in fact there are only a handful of high risks items that you should be concerned with, then Norton Internet Security may be what you have been looking for.

The estimated retail price for NIS is $69.99. Current users of Symantec products as well as users of competitive products can upgrade for an estimated retail price of $49.99.

Bill James is Webmaster of the CCOKC and a past President of the club.