Norton AntiVirus

Norton AntiVirus

File:Nav app icon.png
Norton Antivirus Norton AntiVirus Screenshots
Developer(s)	Symantec Corporation
Stable release	2007, 10.1 (Corporate Edition) / as of 2006
Operating system	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Type	Antivirus
License	Proprietary
Website	Symantec.com

Norton AntiVirus (NAV) is a product of Symantec Corporation and is one of the most widely used antivirus programs. Norton AntiVirus is sold as a standalone product and is also included as part of Norton SystemWorks. In addition, there is also a standalone Corporate Edition version, which is aimed to a centrally managed corporate environment. It is called Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition, and has different features not present in the traditional retail version of the software. Norton detects a total of 72,955 viruses as of November 13 2006.

History

Since its release in 1990, over 100 million people around the world have used it. Early versions of Norton AntiVirus were integrated and took much from Central Point Anti-Virus (CPAV), which was acquired by Symantec in 1994. CPAV was also integrated into the Microsoft Anti-Virus utility.

Virus definitions

Symantec's LiveUpdate provides virus definition updates, which enable Norton AntiVirus to compete with other Antivirus software. In order to receive updates, a valid subscription is required; an initial subscription good for one year (or 90 days for OEM copies) is included with the purchase. When a user's subscription expires, the user can still receive program updates (patches) for free but will not be able to download virus definitions updates without renewing his or her subscription or purchasing a new version of the Symantec product with a year of subscription included.

The Corporate Edition has a client/server strategy to update virus definitions. Each of the workstations will not have LiveUpdate installed, but will be linked to a central Server. The Server will be the one that will actually update itself with LiveUpdate, and distribute such updates to the client/managed workstations. This is to reduce redundant updates over the organizational network (such as 100 PC's updating the same definitions).

Competition

Norton AntiVirus also attempts to remove spyware and adware, both of which are forms of malware that are not computer viruses. It competed in this capacity with the freeware Spybot - Search & Destroy (among others), although the company seems to have expressed an interest in leaving the anti-spyware/adware market.

In 2006, Symantec announced the following:

"There is no product from the Symantec or Norton line that competes with Spybot [ - Search and Destroy]."[1]

Product activation

Beginning with Norton AntiVirus 2004, Norton AntiVirus includes an anti-copying feature called "Product Activation," which is similar to the activation process in Windows XP and Office XP. The activation process for Norton AntiVirus 2004, 2005, and 2006 can be accomplished through two methods: over the Internet or by phone. The latter, however, leaves the process vulnerable to cracking - key generator programs (which product activation was designed to defeat) simply generate a bogus 'activation code' of the type given to licensed users over the phone.

Criticisms

Customer Service

Retail customers experience slow and indifferent service on bugs, such as the one that returns to certain users' a specific error message that their valid subscriptions have expired, and refuses to allow daily updates via "Intelligent Updater." Sl Though the bug was reported in 2004 it was not corrected for the 2005 version, and continues unpatched in 2006.

FBI/CIA cooperation

Norton AntiVirus was criticized in the past because of Symantec's policy that allows spy software (keyloggers/backdoors) of US secret services, such as the FBI (Magic Lantern) and the CIA (Oasis), to bypass Norton's malware detection [2] .

Response to viruses

According to an article by the Washington Post, Norton Antivirus has one of the worst average response times for providing virus definition updates based on the worst virus outbreaks of 2005, lagging behind every major competitor, including Kaspersky, F-Secure, Sophos, Avira, Trend Micro, F-Prot, Panda, AVG, Avast, ClamWin, and McAfee.

For everyday viruses, according to an article by Eweek titled Why Is Symantec So Slow with Updates?, Symantec is the only vendor that provides virus definition updates on a weekly basis, as opposed to competitors such as McAfee that provides them on a daily basis or Sophos, Kaspersky or Panda that provide them several times a day.

However, Symantec does provide frequent beta and "Intelligent Updater" definitions in the form of manually downloadable 8-10 MB packages (although impractical for daily use for even highly technical users) as well as daily updates for LiveUpdate Platinum customers such as large corporations and businesses.

For 2006 release customers, daily LiveUpdate definitions are apparently available.

Uninstallation

Norton AntiVirus has been criticized for refusing to uninstall cleanly. Norton has created a tool to remove its registry keys and values, along with the software available at web site

Impact on computer performance

This software is typically regarded as making considerable demands on resources. See bloatware

External links

Reviews

• ZDNet's review of Norton AntiVirus 2005
• review of the 2004 edition PC Plus review
• CNet.com Review by CNET.com
• Reviewbase Reviews of the 2006 version
• PC World Review by PCWorld

Other links

• Symantec's page on Norton Antivirus 2006
• eXcessive Software Provides an application (Norton Rapid Updater 1.0) to download Rapid Updates -- Virus definitions that are considered "beta" by Symantec