Norton calls on Quorum for 2010
Symantec is betting heavily that program behavior is the future battlefront of security and is making a big push in its 2010 security program lineup with a behavioral engine called Quorum.
Debuting Wednesday, both the basic Norton AntiVirus 2010 and the more robust Norton Internet Security 2010 will use Quorum, which Symantec is calling an advanced security network based both on traditional malware signatures and on reputation for both files and software.
This screenshot is from the Norton Internet Security 2010 beta, though it's not expected to change drastically in the final version. This shows the Norton Insight screen.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)The Quorum system uses the uniqueness of mutating malware against the threat itself, said Dan Nadir, director of product management for Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security. Multiple variations of a single threat have become a potential risk to the efficacy of definition-based antivirus, so a system like Quorum--in which the unfamiliarity of a new threat becomes the tool by which the threat is neutralized--could drastically improve security programs.
Symantec noted that it hasn't abandoned last year's pledge to improve Norton's performance, and it is keeping the quick scan to about one minute. An in-progress scan conducted with the beta version used about 70MB of RAM, while the program used about 15.5 MB when idle. Symantec also exposes how much memory the program is using in the main pane. Symantec says that in the final version, Norton users should expect to see working memory usage at less than 10 MB, and that the "quick scan" should be completed in 64 seconds.
The Quorum technology is designed to expose system and threat-detection data, so users who want more than just "set-it-and-forget-it" information can customize Norton's responses. The Insight Network incorporates Quorum and uses statistical analysis of file attributes to judge the trustworthiness of a file. Norton Threat Insight provides information on detected threats, such as the URL of a threat. Norton System Insight uncovers system information and can be used to detect system slowdowns. Norton Download Insight uses Symantec's cloud data to determine the safety of a downloaded file before it runs.
The more robust Norton Internet Security includes new enterprise-level antispam algorithms, which Symantec says shouldn't require any "training" from users. These have been incorporated from Brightmail, a company that Symantec bought more than five years ago. Norton Internet Security also includes OnlineFamily.Norton, Symantec's new parental control system, and Norton SafeWeb, which is a search results and e-commerce rating component.
Norton Internet Security 2010 costs $69.99 for a three-PC license, and Norton AntiVirus 2010 is $39.99 for one computer.
Seth peers into the deep, dark corners of software so that you don't have to. He has yet to suffer a single nightmare about OS/2. You can follow him on Twitter. 
Granted I have had a virus or two but that is life; get over yourself
What you should be securing is just your data and let Windows secure itself. If you learned to work with standard user privileges in Windows, then you should not have had any virus/malware attacks.
Windows Vista/7 both work in the background with standard user privileges from the start and only give administrative privileges to those applications that the user allows. That's why Windows Vista/7 are more secure.
(And how can you compare your 15 years of experience in Windows vs. 4 months (or so) of experience on another system?)
Most likely your problem is visiting malware infested web sites. a high-risk behaviour. Or downloading from an un trustworthy web site.
I find it funny how some people blame the o/s for their own mistakes. It's like getting the flu and blaming the people who make your soap.
So because you haven't had any problems running Windows, I'm a nut case? And to be clear, I am not blaming the OS. I am blaming the exploits that target that specific OS. I tried to protect myself from the exploits, but got burned in a big way. Twice. So I've decided to avoid using the target of those exploits. Which is Windows. So far, my experience has been great since making the change. Makes me wonder why I didn't do it sooner. I am glad you haven't had the same problems. I hope your luck continues. Fact remains, other platforms are experiencing less real world exploits. Period.
yeah thats why I wanted to get Norton 360 because I seen that deal on Costco but I wasn't sure if the Quorom system would be in it. Thanks!
I have tried antivirus 2009 and it was a lot faster. :-)
Can't wait to get 2010.
norton should repair the problem so they can stabilise themselves rather crashing together with windows.
Another $70 bucks? Fry's has the 3 user subscription for NIS 2009 for free after rebates. 2010 will be made available to current subscribers via download shortly after release. Read the rebates before you purchase.
http://www.frys.com/product/5723572?
and log in, on the right side of the page that shows the programs you have registered there should be that says update, it will jump to another page that will ask you to download a script that will scan your computer for your installed programs, if you have NIS 2009 as I did it should let you download the 2010 version and give you a key to register it.
Moving to another platform is realy a dum move. as the "other" plateform gain in polularity, they will in time become target, but as opposed to windows, the "other: hace no experience dealing with maleware
And finaly not making regular backup as nothing todo with the OS or virus.
I will put my money on NOD 32 and looking forward to test NIS 2010.
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- by paulej September 8, 2009 9:05 PM PDT
- I see a patent coming here. And what does it really do? It probably patents software that behaves in certain ways... like trying to write into the Windows system directory or some such with software that's not signed. I've got a feeling this is not terribly impressive. But, perhaps it is more elaborate than what I think.
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (51 Comments)I've been using NAV for years and years. But, it is not without flaws. Over the years, I've had false positives. When I presented those to Norton, the replies I got (and I swear) were that "if Norton AV detected a file was a virus, it was." In each case, the false postitives were eventually addressed, but I guess only after enough people complain.
And for a while the current NAV would cause Explorer to lock up cutting and pasting PDF files over the network. It took about 4 months before that was fixed, if memory serves.
With all of the quasi-negative comments, though, I'll also say that I've been largely pleased with NAV. Aside from the PDF issue, performance has not been a problem and I've never had a virus on my machine. Whether I can thank NAV for that or not, I don't know.
That said, it concerns me that they're going to change what has largely worked. How many more false positives will we have now? The false positives are extremely disruptive to work, so this really scares me.