Norton Internet Security 2012 Review

There are two things that immediately stand out about Norton Internet Security 2012: first, it’s very effective and powerful; and second, at $69.99, it may be outside the budget of many PC users. Nevertheless, Norton has maintained their reputation for developing effective, easy-to-use antivirus programs that protect your computer in multiple ways.

Powerful antivirus and malware protection

Norton is famous for its all-encompassing support against all forms of malware, and Internet Security 2012 is no exception. Since Norton Antivirus 2012 (priced at $39.99) is included within the program, Internet Security 2012 has more than enough filters to keep out even the most persistent viruses. It also found well over 99% of all malware threats during testing by independent labs.

Sometimes, it can take a while to complete a scan, especially if your PC is filled with malware. We didn’t particularly mind this, as you can’t expect a program to completely clean your system in under a minute. The final result was a computer that was completely cleaned of any sort of malware threats, and we’re happy to wait a few extra minutes to attain that level of security.

The only problem we had with Norton Internet Security’s malware detection was that it found a few false positives. For whatever reason, it classifies some older, obscure utilities as viruses on certain PCs. In some cases, these utilities weren’t “digitally signed”, a fact that the scanner didn’t like. This problem was easily remedied, but those who are clicking quickly through their ‘clean-up’ screen may accidentally delete a benign program.

Ultimately, this doesn’t detract from the fact that this is a powerful antivirus program, and one of the best on the market. Its independent test results place it among the top tier of antivirus software, and while it’s not quite the best program in the world, it’s certainly up there.

A new and improved interface

Previous versions of Norton Internet Security were so crammed with features that the welcome screen looked overly crowded. Many users were ignoring some of the program’s most powerful functions, and Norton decided to switch it up in this version. The menus are much easier to navigate, and a more minimalist approach has been used for each page. There’s still plenty of information, settings, and tools being displayed at any one time, but they’re displayed in a more manageable way.

Updates that go above and beyond the call of duty

Most antivirus programs update frequently to keep your computer protected against the newest malware threats. However, Norton is constantly updating its program to do more than just that: it uses data from all over the world to determine how safe a program or website is to use. This information is seamlessly integrated into the program and forms an effective proactive defense against malware.

This system is called SONAR, and it makes Norton Internet Security 2012 that much more powerful. With your computer constantly being updated, you can rest assured that you’ll always be one step ahead of the latest malware threats.

These updates are just a few of the many features that make Norton Internet Security a great program. While some users will be annoyed by the number of notifications and alerts they receive whenever they perform basic online tasks, others will appreciate their computer being protected at all times of the day. Both beginners and

Features to protect every level of your PC

Norton Internet Security 2012 is loaded with features. It includes a powerful and intelligent firewall, for example. During our testing, this firewall was able to block all incoming threats by effectively making the system’s ports invisible to outside attack. If hackers can’t find your system, then they sure won’t be able to hack into it.

Of course, the annoying thing about firewalls is that they can sometimes block innocuous programs. Fortunately, this wasn’t a problem here. It kept open all of the ports that we needed to run our ordinary programs and it didn’t cause much of a nuisance in the process.  We love firewalls like this: we know it’s running in the background and protecting our computer, but it’s not impeding our PC use in order to do it.

Norton Internet Security 2012 is so much more than just Norton Antivirus and a firewall; it also contains features like antispam protection that integrates with Windows Mail or Microsoft Outlook/Outlook Express. And, best of all, it doesn’t take long for the program to sort through this spam, and you probably won’t notice any difference in speed.

Another useful tool is Norton’s toolbar, which offers powerful phishing protection. Many sites are designed to trick you into giving up your data, and even the most experienced computer users can be fooled at some point in their lives. To prevent this from happening to you, the toolbar will proactively scan pages and warn you if you’re ever exposing yourself to risk.

Powerful parental controls and effective password management round out the suite of tools that Norton Internet Security 2012 uses to be successful. Whether you use all of these features or not, they certainly add some extra value to the program.

Performance load?

Such a powerful program doesn’t come without a relatively heavy workload, and your PC will take a slight performance hit. Startup times could increase by a few seconds, for example, and programs may take a fraction of a second longer to open. However, we didn’t notice any significant slowdown in browser speeds, and the overall effect of the program on performance was minimal.

If you were frightened away by the performance-heavy versions of Norton in the past, then you can rest assured that 2012 has taken significant steps to reduce the workload on your PC.

Key Features:

• Powerful firewall and anti-spam protection
• Effective antivirus scanner
• A Norton internet toolbar that is actually useful
• Less drain on system performance than other Norton programs

Pros

• Top-of-the-line antivirus protection
• Useful Norton toolbar protects you from phishing schemes and other threats
• Minimal drain on system performance
• Powerful and intelligent firewall
• Many useful features that protect you both online and offline

Cons

• Some users may not want to pay $69.99 for three installs
• Some pop-ups can be irritating and repetitive
• Some false positives through the SONAR detection system

The Verdict

Norton Internet Security 2012 does virtually everything you could ask of it – and then some. It will protect your computer from all sorts of online threats and is a major reason why Symantec’s products are consistently placed at the top of security software rankings.

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