Norton Internet Security, developed by Symantec Corporation, is a computer program that provides malware prevention and removal during subscription period and uses signatures and heuristics to identify viruses. Other features include a personal firewall, email spam filtering, and phishing protection.
Symantec distributes the product as a download, a boxed copy, and as OEM software. Norton Internet Security held a 61% market share in the United States retail security suite category in the first half of 2007. In this study, competitors, in terms of market share, included security suites from CA, Inc., Trend Micro, and Kaspersky Lab.[1]
Norton Internet Security is available on Symantec's Web site as a download, although users can opt for a physical version on a Compact Disc (CD) for a higher price. Stores may sell boxed copies of Norton Internet Security either on CD or USB flash drive.
Windows edition
In August 1990 Symantec acquired Peter Norton Computing from Peter Norton.[3] Norton and his company developed various applications for DOS, including an antivirus. Symantec continued the development of the acquired technologies, now marketed under the name of "Norton", with the tagline "from Symantec". Norton's crossed-arm pose, a registered U.S. trademark, was featured on Norton product packaging.[4] However, his pose was later moved to the spine of the packaging, and later dropped altogether.
Existing users of the 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2009 versions can upgrade to the latest version of the Norton software without buying a new subscription. The upgraded product, in this case Norton Internet Security 2011, uses the number of days left on a user's subscription.[5]
Version 2000 (1.0)
Norton Internet Security 2000, released January 10, 2000, was Symantec's first foray beyond virus protection and content control filters.[6][7] Its release followed an alliance between Internet provider Excite@Home and antivirus vendor McAfee.com to provide Internet subscribers with McAfee's new firewall software, McAfee Personal Firewall.[8] Version 2000's firewall, based on AtGuard from WRQ, filters traffic at the packet level. It can block ActiveX controls and Java applets. Other functionalities include cookie removal, and banner ad blocking.[9][10] ZDNet found the ad blocker removed graphics that were not ads, breaking pages. Adjusting the settings fixed the problem, however the process was complicated. ZDNet noted the lack of information presented concerning attacks the firewall blocked.[11] Norton LiveUpdate downloads and installs program updates.
The Family Edition adds parental controls. Parental controls are backed by a quality control team of 10 searching the web for inappropriate content. Found content is categorized in subject matter and placed on a blacklist of about 36,000 sites. A designed administrator can add blocked sites, however the pre-supplied blacklist cannot be viewed or edited since it is hard coded. Administrators can block certain subject matters. Another option is to block all sites, then create a whitelist of allowed sites. Family Edition can also block transmission of specified personal information. Such information is replaced with the letter "X". However, CNN noted X-rated sites are retrieved when personal information is queried by a search engine.[12]
Version 2001 (2.5)
Version 2001 was released September 18, 2000, adding support for Windows ME in addition to the Windows 9x series, Windows NT, and Windows 2000.[13] Following attacks by the ILOVEYOU and Anna Kournikova script viruses, this version can block malicious scripts without virus signatures, but by analyzing behavior.[14]
The firewall scans for Internet-enabled applications and creates access rules based on a knowledge base maintained by Symantec during installation. In PC Magazine testing, the installation took 24 minutes to complete on a 750 MHz Pentium III with 92 Internet-enabled applications. Using the firewall, users can determine whether to accept cookies, Java applets, and ActiveX controls on a global or per-site basis. A new feature, Intrusion Detection with AutoBlock, can detect port scans and block further intrusion attempts. The program provides notifications for intrusion attempts, stating the severity level and providing access to threat details. Alternatively, the firewall can put the computer in stealth, essentially hiding the system. Users can configure the security level, affecting the number of notifications. Testing conducted by PC Magazine using Shields Up and Symantec's Security Check found that the firewall successfully stealthed all ports, hiding the computer from view. A leak test was conducted to see the firewall's ability to detect outbound connections. Each attempt was detected and the suite offered to block the attempts.[15]
The Family Edition, like the prior version, includes parental controls and the information filtering feature. Parental controls come with a list of objectionable sites, separated into 32 categories. The list is updated every two weeks by Norton LiveUpdate. Using the list alone, Norton only blocks sites present on the list. Consequently, Norton may not block sites until the next update. Parents can customize the list, adding or removing sites. A list of allowed sites can be created to restrict children to those specific sites. This version uses application blocking rather than protocol or port filtering to control Internet access. Children can be restricted in what applications they used to access the Internet. A parental controls profile can be set up for each child, and settings can be automatically configured based on their age group, whether they be a child, teenager, adult, or administrator. Internet usage and violations are noted in a report presented to parents.[16] PC Magazine found that enabling parental controls added a minute to a computer's boot time.[17]
Version 2002 (5.0)
Version 2002 was announced August 28, 2001. The Family Edition was dropped, so parental controls and information filtering are bundled with this release. The installation was noted as quick and simple by both PC Magazine and CNET. An installation requires a reboot, and afterwards the Security Assistant guides users through a questionnaire to best configure the settings. A problem CNET encountered when upgrading from the prior release was the loss of customized settings. PC Magazine found the default settings, aimed at avoiding frequent notifications, were somewhat permissive. Windows 95 support was also dropped.[18][19]
Running a full scan complies a list of Internet-enabled applications. Users set permissions or accept Norton's default settings. The firewall detects and blocks port scans and logs intrusion attempts. This version does not run a trace on attackers, however Symantec is planning an online tool to do so. To ensure rogue programs can not masquerade as trustworthy applications, Norton verifies programs against a list of digital signatures for known programs, updated every two weeks. The Norton Alert Tracker warns users if hackers attempt to gain access to users' computers. The firewall blocked all access attempts from Shields Up and Port Checker. This version includes a wizard to simplify firewall setup to accommodate for multiple computers sharing an Internet connection. With this release, Norton can prevent specified personal information from being transmitted via a compatible instant messenger client, e-mail, and websites. Ad-blocking includes the Ad Trashcan, where users can place ads that slipped past ad-filtering.[20]
A Professional Edition was announced December 11, 2001, with marketing aimed towards business owners. This version features Norton Intrusion Detection, which intercepts suspicious connections and attacks, such as the Code Red worm. Intrusion Detection focuses on Windows-based attacks only. Central management is also present in this version. Administrators configure firewall and productivity settings for client computers. Productivity settings allow administrators to block newsgroups, websites, and advertisements. The suite integrates with XP user accounts; settings can be personalized for each user.[21]
Version 2003
Version 2003 was announced September 16, 2002, scheduled to be available for purchase later that month. This version adds Norton Spam Alert to reduce e-mail spam. Spam filtering scans the whole message and its context, rather than looking for keywords to ensure accuracy.[22] A POP3 client must be used. When a message is identified as spam, Norton inserts an identifier, by default it is "Spam Alert:", in the subject line. Using the mail client, users can create a rule to delete or move flagged messages. Users can also create strings of text for Spam Alert to look for when classifying e-mail. In PC Magazine testing, Spam Alert mistakenly classified 2.8 percent of legitimate e-mail as spam. 47 percent of spam slipped passed the filter. Although misidentification of valid e-mail was low, the feature did not fare well at finding actual spam.[23]
The updated main interface has green and red indicators to show which features are active and which need attention. The firewall has several updated features in this version. A Block Traffic button present in the main interface blocks all incoming and outgoing Internet traffic. Another new feature, the Visual Tracker, graphically maps attacks back to their origin. The firewall blocked all port scans conducted by CNET, stealthing each port.
Following the Nimda and Code Red worms, this version scans all incoming and outgoing traffic for suspicious data exchanges against a routinely updated database, a feature ported from Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition. Connections to the offending computer is automatically severed if the traffic matches a database item.[24][25]
Symantec announced a Professional Edition on November 19, 2002. Data recovery tools in this version allow users to recover deleted or malware damaged files. The inclusion of a data erasure tool allows users to delete files while minimizing the chance of recovery. Web Cleanup removes browser cache files, history, and cookies. To maintain dial-up connections, Connection Keep Alive simulates online activity during periods of user inactivity. Norton Productivity Control enables users to filter Internet content and block newsgroups. When used with the User Access Manager, multiple filtering profiles can be created, assigned to different users.[26]
Version 2004
Announced September 8, 2003, version 2004 adds adware, spyware, and keylogger protection. PC Magazine found the added protection to be weak. Out of the spyware samples Norton detected, a significant number were not removed completely, requiring manual removal. Norton also did little to prevent spyware infections.[27]
Norton AntiSpam, the renamed spam filtering feature, has a set of spam rules, which cannot be viewed or edited. Whitelists and blacklists of senders can be created. Users may also create their own spam definitions. AntiSpam integrates with Outlook, Outlook Express, and Eudora, allowing users to tag e-mail as spam on-the-fly. E-mail identified as spam are either quarantined by default, however the feature can be configured to delete such messages automatically. In CNET testing, AntiSpam correctly identified 94 percent of spam messages.[28][29]
Product activation was introduced in this release. After installation, users are allowed a 15 day grace period to activate their copy of Norton Internet Security 2004. The program will not work after the deadline without the 24-character product key. The product key used to activate a copy of Norton Internet Security ties in with an alphanumeric code based on a computer's hardware configuration. Users may activate their product five times with the same product key, however licensing terms dictate users are allowed only to install Norton Internet Security 2004 on one computer.[30][31]
Version 2005
Symantec introduced Version 2005 on August 17, 2004. This version is sometimes referred to with the tagline of "AntiSpyware Edition", since spyware detection is integrated with Norton and is by default enabled. Found threats are listed, separating the ones already dealt with and the ones requiring user interaction. More detailed information is provided through a link to Symantec's website. However, PC Pro and PC Magazine noted lengthy scan times. A full scan took 24 minutes to over half an hour, respectively. IN PC Pro testing, Norton detected 61 percent of the spyware samples, compared to an average of 68 percent for all the tested products. Removal rates were above average, 72 percent verses the average of 68 percent. Norton blocked reinstallation with a score of 48 percent, compared to the group average of 43 percent. Overall, Norton ranked fifth among the tested products.[32] In PC Magazine testing, Norton installed slowly on infected systems and failed to install on one altogether. Contacting Symantec did not resolve the issue.[33]
Other new features include Internet Worm Protection to block worms, which scan IP addresses for open ports. It also blocks inbound ports based on known and suspected exploits using signatures and heuristics. The addition of the feature follows MSBlast in 2003 and Sasser in 2004, worms that exploited vulnerability in Microsoft Windows' operating systems.[34] In response to emerging privacy threats — 75 percent of the threats in the last 12 months attempted to steal confidential information — this version adds phishing protection. Using the firewall component, users can create a whitelist of sites where confidential information can be transmitted. Users are alerted when information is transmitted to a site not on the list. The Outbreak Alert feature warns users of major threats as classified by Symantec, and users can press the Fix Now button to applies a set of changes to close vulnerabilities, such as blocking necessary ports used by a propagating worm.[35] The Browser Privacy can suppress information website generally receive about its visitors, such as the browser and operating system used. The feature can also block advertisements.
Privacy Control can warn users when sending confidential information. It can also be configured to block the transmission. It allows users to specify how the information can sent, such as via IM or e-mail. Item-specific exceptions allow users to control where there data can be sent. However, PC Pro found a flaw in the information filtering feature. The way information is formatted on the list of confidential information can affect its effectiveness. For example, entering the last six digits of a credit card number will not stop the numbers from leaking if they are grouped in four digits. PC Magazine also noted the fact anyone who can login to the computer can view the database of private information. For that reason, Symantec recommends entering only the last portion of sensitive information.[36]
Norton AntiSpam now scans e-mails for spoofed URLs and deals with any offending e-mail as spam. E-mails can also be blocked based on language, however by default the filter allows all languages. AntiSpam can sync its own list of allowed senders with POP3 address books. Users can train the spam filter by pointing out valid e-mail marked as spam and vice versa. Support for Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail was added in this release.[36]
Norton Internet Security 2010
Norton Internet Security 2010 + Trial Reset crack
Norton Internet Security 2010 delivers fast and light comprehensive online threat protection. It guards your PC, network, online activities and your identity with innovative, intelligent detection technologies optimized to combat today's aggressive, rapid-fire attacks.
Improved Norton Safe Web technology blocks Internet threats before they can infect your PC. So you can browse, buy and bank online with confidence. It even warns you of unsafe web sites right in your search results. Plus, unlike other Internet security suites, it provides easy-to-understand threat and performance information to help you avoid future threats and keep your PC running fast.
Norton Internet Security 2010 + Trial Reset crack
Norton Internet Security 2010 delivers fast and light comprehensive online threat protection. It guards your PC, network, online activities and your identity with innovative, intelligent detection technologies optimized to combat today's aggressive, rapid-fire attacks.
Improved Norton Safe Web technology blocks Internet threats before they can infect your PC. So you can browse, buy and bank online with confidence. It even warns you of unsafe web sites right in your search results. Plus, unlike other Internet security suites, it provides easy-to-understand threat and performance information to help you avoid future threats and keep your PC running fast.
115 MB | Rapidshare - Megaupload - Hotfile
Download Norton Internet Security 2010
Rapidshare - Megaupload - Hotfile
Download Norton Internet Security 2010
Rapidshare - Megaupload - Hotfile
