Norton Internet Security 2001 2.5

Those users without antivirus software (or those with software in need of an upgrade) will appreciate the power of Norton AntiVirus 2001, which scans e-mail attachments, zipped files, and any downloads for malicious viruses. A welcome feature is the new banner ad and pop-up window. Like most ad blockers, it won't work on every site, but it works on many sites seamlessly and lets you manually configure ad blocking on sites it doesn't automatically filter. Additionally, Norton Privacy Control holds your personal information, such as your name, address, and credit card numbers, and prevents you from sending them to unsecured sites.

But the main crux of Internet Security is its firewall, a must-have application for broadband connections. While dial-up users can be victims of unwanted intruders, the same aspects of narrowband connections that we dislike--slower speed, less stable connection--also make them more difficult avenues of approach for hacking. But the fat, always-on pipelines of broadband connections, such as DSL and cable access, make them ripe for malicious attacks. While it's true that hacks on average users are rare, the better-safe-than-sorry school of thought applies here.

The Norton Personal Firewall bundled with Internet Security affords excellent software protection for the average user. After installing the software, we visited Gibson Research Corporation's Shields Up! (www.grc.com), which tests the protection levels of your PC. With the firewall set to its medium level (it also offers high and minimal), the probing software couldn't even detect our system, much less simulate any attacks.

The individual pieces of Norton Internet Security are entwined with the latest version of LiveUpdate, which automatically downloads and installs the latest patches and virus definitions on a schedule or manually (it offers periodic reminders to update). A year of free updates is included with Internet Security, after which you'll have to purchase a new subscription.

If you've already got an up-to-date antivirus program on your PC and you don't feel you need the privacy controls and ad blocking of this suite, you might consider the standalone Norton Personal Firewall 2001. But if you're in need of two or more of the programs in this suite, it's a better value to get the entire package. --J. Curtis

Amazon.com Review
As well as offering personal firewall protection (a must-have if you spend any amount of time surfing the Internet), the newest version of Norton Internet Security 2001 comes complete with Norton AntiVirus 2001, a very capable antivirus program. Other security features thrown in for good measure include privacy controls, which prevent personal information, such as credit card numbers, from being sent over the Internet or to a Web site without your permission, plus an ad-blocker facility, which goes a long way toward ridding Web pages of those pesky banner ads. The nice thing about this security bundle is that the individual elements can be accessed and configured from a single front-end program.

While Norton Internet Security combines several completely separate technologies behind a single interface, at its heart it is a personal firewall. Simply put, this allows you to access the Internet without letting the Internet access you. Previous firewall products have been a nightmare to configure, but NIS caters to all levels of expertise. At its simplest, you can choose between three levels of protection. Or, if you're feeling brave, you can configure each firewall rule individually. However, out of the box, the default settings offer a good balance of security and ease of use.

If you want to maximize their security, then it's important to keep both Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security up to date. The LiveUpdate feature has been improved--now you can update all the Norton series packages installed on your PC in one fell swoop using LiveUpdate to pull down the latest updates from the Symantec Web site. This can even be done automatically, every time you connect to the Internet. Updates are free for a year--after this you pay Symantec per year for this service.

It may be the case that to fully appreciate Norton Internet Security you have to use it. Use it for only a few months, and you may find yourself surprised--as this reviewer was--at just how often your home PC has been probed by unwanted outsiders (NIS logs record all the attempts that have been made on the PC). To date, none of them succeeded. --Roger Gann

Amazon.com Product Description
Norton Internet Security is a complete integrated set of tools that keeps your home PC safe and guarded against viruses, hackers, and other intrusions while it's connected to the Internet. The package includes Norton Personal Firewall, Norton AntiVirus, and Norton Privacy Control. Personal Firewall defends your PC against hackers. Select preconfigured low, medium, or high security settings for instant protection, or create your own custom firewall rules. New Norton AntiVirus 2001 gives you award-winning protection from Internet and e-mail viruses, and even keeps itself updated automatically. Norton Privacy Control protects personal information from being sent to Web sites inappropriately, blocks applications from sending information across the Web without your knowledge, and lets you control the use of Internet "cookies." Plus, easy installation and setup let you start enjoying the benefits of Norton Internet Security 2001 right away. To obtain your $20 mail-in rebate from Symantec, proof of ownership of a previous version of all retail (boxed or downloaded), stand-alone versions of Norton Internet Security, Norton Personal Firewall, Norton SystemWorks or Norton SystemWorks Professional Edition, Norton AntiVirus, Norton Utilities, McAfee Virus Scan, or McAfee Internet Guard Dog is required.