I’ve always been a big fan of Norton, even before Symantec came along.
Every fall I eagerly await the release of new versions of their security software
packages, namely Norton Personal Firewall and Norton Antivirus. They are integrated
together in the popular Internet Security suite and together they protect your
computer from hacking and virus threats alike, with a few other features thrown
in for good measure. This review will look at Internet Security 2004 from an
upgrade standpoint. The question to be answered is: “Does this new version
carry enough new features to warrant an upgrade from the previous version?”

All fixes, updates and virus library modifications that were created after
the release of version 2003 are now part of 2004. This creates a nice clean
slate for people who hate the need to constantly download larger and larger
software and virus definition updates as their software gets old. Upgrading
annually keeps your time spent downloading updates after an install to a bare
minimum. Generally though, that factor alone isn’t enough to make people
upgrade.

Norton Internet Security is essentially made up of two programs: Norton Antivirus
and Norton Personal Firewall. It also includes some additional features unique
to the suite, such as ad-blocking, antispam, and parental controls.

Antivirus

Norton Antivirus 2004 really only boasts one new trick over that of version
2003: it can now detect certain types of spyware and keystroke logging programs.

Before I uninstalled version 2003 I purposefully ran a full system scan to
see if it picked anything up. It didn’t, as expected. I then ran a full
system sweep using Adware 6 (a popular spyware detector and eliminator), which
also found nothing.

When I ran a full system scan with the newly installed 2004 (just minutes after
running the previous scans) it detected and successfully removed two remote
dialler files that were clearly not supposed to be on my system. So, it seems
Antivirus 2004 has the ability to detect spyware type files that even dedicated
spyware applications do not currently detect. This expansion of what Symantec
classifies as a ‘virus’ is a great addition. It’s only one
new feature, but it’s a welcomed one.

The programs interface hasn’t really changed since 2003. The only exception
is some slightly more polished selection buttons, so if you were looking for
a fresh look you will probably be disappointed. There is nothing practically
wrong with the interface, so there is no reason why Symantec should have changed
their software in that respect. If it works, leave it alone.

There was one item I expected them to change that they did not: the application’s
instant messenger support. It really frustrated me that version 2003 didn’t
support MSN Messenger and other less mainstream IM clients. Like with 2003,
2004 supports Windows Messenger, Yahoo, and AOL, but no others. I honestly expected
2004 to have added more support for other IM applications, so in that respect
I felt very let down.

Firewall

Now let’s look at the other primary component of the Internet Security
suite: the firewall (which includes Intrusion Detector). As far as I can tell,
it has made no real advancements over its previous version. The firewall is
obviously just as good as before; in fact, it is the same as version 2003 with
all the previous year’s updates all present and accounted for. There may
have been no real developments to the software’s core features, but there
has been some tweaking.

A web assistant has been added that is neatly integrated into Internet Explorer.
It allows more straightforward and efficient blocking of cookies, ads and popups,
but this is merely an extension of features that were already present in past
versions of the Internet Security firewall. It simply serves as a replacement
for the now non-existent ‘alert tracker’.

Other features

Another bundled component that Symantec boasts as being “new” is
the ‘Network Detector’ (an extension of the firewall). It is simply
a more streamlined and user-friendly version of what came before. All the other
advertised new features, such as Norton Antispam, are again just slightly more
developed versions of those that came with version 2003. Most of the additions
are simply not large enough to do the job nearly as good as other third-party
applications that are more dedicated to the task. In fact, I found them more
of an annoyance than help.

For example, even though I disabled all the Antispam features, a large and
in-your-face toolbar button still appeared in my e-mail client (Outlook Express).
Even manually removing the button in OE’s toolbar options failed to permanently
get rid of it. Having these slightly menial extra features is one thing, but
not being able to disable them fully is unacceptable.

The Antispam part of the software suite isn’t as bad as I’ve made
out, because for the everyday ‘Joe Internet’ it should be useful.
But, for anyone who gets more than half a dozen e-mails a day, this particular
feature of Internet Security is not sufficient.

The integration of parental controls into the package is another promising
feature, but, as with Antispam, there just isn’t enough depth to the component’s
functionality to make it the standout feature Symantec may have liked.

Looking at the software suite in its entirety, it serves to stop hackers dead
in their tracks. Viruses such as Trojan horses and worms are dealt with efficiently
and reassuringly. You can also rest easy knowing your private information (such
as Internet banking codes and credit card information) can be easily protected
from anyone wishing to steal them from you through the use of the privacy controls.

Price

This package basically costs as much as it does to purchase its primary component
applications separately. With the addition of the suite-specific features (Antispam,
etc), though many won’t find them very helpful, Norton Internet Security
is hard to fault with regard to its pricing. It’s worth pointing out that,
even though the firewall software included is first rate, its functionality
is not much better than freeware like ‘ZoneAlarm’ or ‘Sygate
Personal Firewall’. However, the individual retail price for Norton Antivirus
alone amounts to almost ¾ of Norton Internet Security’s price tag,
so paying that little bit extra to get a first-rate firewall thrown in isn’t
a bad idea.

Conclusion

If you’re thinking of upgrading from Norton Internet Security 2003, this
new package isn’t as appealing as previous upgrades from Symantec, especially
considering how much the Internet has changed over the last 12 months. However,
as a standalone Internet Security package, you would struggle to find a more
reliable and user-friendly piece of software that literally keeps itself up
to date.

It’s packed with all the functionality and features you will need to
keep your computer safe from the growing threats to which your computer is exposed.
The only thing that lets down the package is some of the half-measure components,
such as the Antispam features and the disappointing instant messenger client
support. In comparison to other similar software packages on the market, Norton
Internet Security 2004 is miles ahead of the rest.