CNET Editors' review
The bottom line: Low-impact performance, strong security, and useful features are the hallmarks of Norton Internet Security 2012, one of the best security suites available.
Review:
Editors' note: Portions of this review are based on CNET's review of Norton Internet Security 2011.
Over the past few years, Symantec has completed a course reversal for its Norton consumer Internet security suites. The massive package of security tools works better than it ever has before, with an impressive set of features, some useful new tools including remote management and download stability analysis, and third-party security efficacy benchmarks that are at the top of the heap. Meanwhile, CNET Labs' performance benchmarks indicate that though Norton doesn't leave the smallest footprint on your system, users should see a minimal impact overall.
Norton Internet Security 2012
Installation
For the third year in a row, Norton's formerly sluggish beast now offers a smooth and fast installation operation. Once you run the installer, the program is ready to operate in about a minute--impressively fast, and doubly so considering past performance. The installation process is also the first time that you will interact with Quorum, Norton's behavior-based detection engine. You'll be asked to participate by sending anonymous data to Symantec's cloud. Opting out of the data submission, according to Symantec, will not affect your security.
Running the trial of Norton also requires registering the program. Like many programs, Norton used to force open your default browser and take you to the company's registration Web site. Now you can register from within the program. Uninstalling the software left about 10 Registry entries behind, but no other traces were detectable. Overall, Norton's installation experience was fast and hassle-free, with a minimum of configuration options--but the ones that did come up appeared necessary.
Interface
Norton Internet Security 2012 contains some changes to the 2011 interface, although the design is heavily reminiscent of the previous version. It keeps the dark theme, punctuated by yellow text, and the contrast works well. Changes this year include a reorganized and streamlined Settings interface; a "pinnable" Advanced screen--so that power users can get about their business faster--which also comes with a CPU gauge; and tweaks to the System Status indicator. This year, the interface feels more balanced between the feature display and empty space.
The simplified layout offers Scans on the left, Updates in the center, and Advanced tools on the right. Clicking on one reveals controls specific to that area of protection. At the bottom of the interface is a wide, short map of the world covered with blinking yellow dots. Each one, according to Symantec, represents a threat to one of its users that has been successfully blocked. The Activity Map visual is cute, but completely irrelevant to your personal safety. More interesting is that below the map there are a series of mobile app-style buttons. From there you can access the new Norton Management, Norton Mobile, Norton Online Family, Norton Safe Web, and Norton Backup without having to jump to your browser.
Features and support
There aren't many new features in Norton Internet Security 2012, but what's new ought to appeal to the kind of person who wants the souped-up security in this robust suite.
There's now a link at the bottom of the main interface to Norton's mobile version. Next to it is a link for Norton Management, a new tool that opens in your default Web browser that allows you to use Norton remotely. This includes monitoring security status, remote add and installation, and license key renewal. However, given the growth of the mobile market, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect a stronger connection between the two in the coming year.
One of the better new features is a change to Download Insight. This community-driven tool originally evaluated files being downloaded for security, but now it looks at their stability for other Norton users, too. There are also metered bandwidth options for people on rate-limited connections, and several interface tweaks to make the program easier on the eyes and to make it easier to find things.
The port of Norton 360's startup manager was an excellent call. If you're Windows-savvy, you're probably comfortable managing that stuff by hand, but even for those in the know, the Norton version makes startup changes easier to implement. Along with pulling in community ratings, you can toggle a process on or off, or delay it.
The Identity Safe has been improved, too. It now includes LastPass-styled password handling and cloud-based syncing and vaults, features that some competitors have had for a while. Google Chrome finally gets Safe Web support from Norton, but it's surprisingly not in Norton AntiVirus. While I understand the point of value-added features, this one seems an unnecessarily restrictive hit on users of the fastest-growing browser.
The reputation-based security checks where your programs were installed from and when they were installed, and compares that against data from the 58 million users participating in the crowd-sourced Norton Community Watch to see if any of your programs should be red-flagged. Norton's System Insight component has been bumped up to version 2.0; System Insight is the proprietary internal network that warns you when your programs unnecessarily hog system resources. This gives some extra heft to the system performance map, where you can click on any spike and see what caused it.
The third iteration of Download Insight applies the same reputation-based logic to new downloads, and the fourth version of Norton SONAR (Symantec Online Network for Automatic Response) looks for suspicious software behavior and automatically chooses protective actions. You can toggle how aggressive SONAR is in the Settings window.
Along with the quick scan, the full-system scan, and the custom scan for viruses and malware, you can now have Norton scan your Facebook wall for malicious links. There are also on-demand reputation-based quick scans, full scans, and custom scans for users who want Norton to immediately scan their installed programs. After completing a scan, Norton provides users with a summary report. More-detailed information, including scan duration and a deeper dive into threats discovered, can be read under the History option from the main window. There's also a link that you can follow in case you believe that Norton missed something in its scan, although as reputation-based protection matures, on-demand scanning becomes less of an issue when compared with the "always-on" protection offered here.
The bootable recovery tool isn't new, but it now comes with a feature that automatically creates a CD, DVD, or USB-based bootable device. The USB component is especially important on optical-drive-free systems such as Netbooks.
Norton continues to dabble in free security offerings, including the Norton Online Family parental controls, the "lite" version of Norton Safe Web, and the new Norton Power Eraser. Power Eraser is a new tool that will aggressively clean your computer of fake antivirus programs and other malware that prevents legitimate security tools from being installed.
As with the rest of the program, the support options have been streamlined behind a drop-down menu in the top right of the interface. Help opens local support, Tutorials leads to a Web site with extensive how-tos, and the Get Support link accesses the breadth of Norton's customer support in a new window. Here, users can chat with tech support 24-7, explore the user manual, and check out the Norton FAQ and knowledge base. Phone support is also available, although Symantec takes part in the trend to make phone support harder to access by funneling users to online resources.
Performance
Norton's fast installation and comprehensive feature set would be useless without solid performance, and Norton Internet Security 2012 delivers extremely high third-party efficacy benchmarks and strong performance benchmarks.
In a real-world test, Norton 2012 completed a Quick Scan in 2 minutes, 43 seconds; the Full Scan took 1 hour 43 minutes and 54 seconds. While the Full Scan average is comparable to last year's, the Quick Scan was approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds slower than last year's average.
CNET Labs' benchmarks found both Norton Internet Security 2012 and Norton AntiVirus 2012 to have performed well, although not as strongly as some of their competitors. Note that we can't directly compare this year's results with last year's because we upgraded our testing computer from Windows 7 x64 to Windows 7 x64 with Service Pack 1.
NIS 2012 slowed down the Labs' computer boot time by about 11.8 seconds, one of the fastest scores this year, whereas NAV 2012 added an unimpressive 21.2 seconds. This is in line with previous years, which saw NIS do better on boot than NAV.
Both had a very small impact on the computer's shutdown time, slowing it down only by about 4 seconds compared with an unprotected computer. Scan times for both were disappointingly average in the Labs; in previous years, they were aggressively competitive. However, our in-use system performance tests, the iTunes decoding, Microsoft Office, media multitasking, and Cinebench tests, showed both Norton suites having a low-level impact on our test computer. This means that, all things being equal, you're not going to notice much when Norton is running as you go about your computing business.
| Security program | Boot time | Shutdown time | Scan time | MS Office performance | iTunes decoding | Media multitasking | Cinebench |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unprotected system | 40 | 6 | n/a | 395 | 120 | 342 | 17,711 |
| Average of all tested systems (to date) | 63.0 | 15.8 | 1,136 | 416 | 125 | 348 | 17,112 |
| Norton AntiVirus 2012 | 61.2 | 9.9 | 1,154 | 403 | 125 | 344 | 17,007 |
| Norton Internet Security 2012 | 51.8 | 10.3 | 1,066 | 410 | 123 | 343 | 17,386 |
*All tests measured in seconds, except for Cinebench. On the Cinebench test, the higher number is better.
In independent threat detection and removal tests, Norton is a top performer. In the AV-Test.org test on Windows 7 from the first quarter of 2011, Norton Internet Security 2011 scored 15 out of 18 overall, one of the better suites tested. The suite had a 5.5 rating out of 6 in Protection, a 5.0 in Repair, and a 4.5 in Usability.
The second-quarter 2011 test, on a Windows XP computer, definitely showed improvement in some areas and regression in others. It scored 13.5 out of 18 overall, a solid midrange score. The suite improved in Protection and Repair with a 5.0 rating out of 6 for both, but Usability dropped to 3.5 most likely due to false positives.
Third-quarter results aren't in yet, but results shared by AV-Test.org with CNET indicate that the suite continues to perform well. It notched a 98.94 percent malware detection rate, higher than the overall average rate of 97.31 percent in August 2011 certification testing, but not as high as some competitors, such as Bitdefender. The suite was able to remove 83.3 percent of active malware infections, only slightly higher than the industry average of 80 percent. In AV-Test.org's zero-day attacks test, Bitdefender blocked 100 percent of the attacks, compared with the average August 2011 certification results of 92.16 percent. The suite also did not find any false positives.
The most recent AV-Comparatives.org Whole Product test, which looks at on-demand scanning, retroactive tests, and "real-world" guards including cloud-based protections, puts Norton Internet Security 2011 toward the front of the class, out of 17 suites tested. Looking at Whole Product test results cumulatively from January 2011 to June 2011 found that AVG came in 13th, blocking 99.1 percent of threats.
Dennis Technology Labs, a member of the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), found in January 2011 that Norton Internet Security 2011 earned an overall protection score of 142 (PDF), tied with Trend Micro. Norton also had zero false-positive warnings during the test.
Following the path blazed by Norton 2009 through 2011, Norton continues to build a strong performance record based on excellent detection, fast scan times, and low false positives. However, it's clear that according to some tests, there's been some small slippage.
Conclusion
Symantec positions its premium security suite, Norton Internet Security 2012, as one of the best paid-license security suites available. The tight integration of behavioral threat detection, in conjunction with serious attention to download stability, makes Norton a compelling choice. The extras are worthwhile, too, especially for people looking for one security solution that includes mobile. There's no doubt that this is comprehensive, robust security that users can put their trust in.
Publisher's Description
From Symantec:
Norton Internet Security 2012 lets you email, chat and surf the Web without worrying about cybercriminals ripping you off. It delivers protection from online dangers without sacrificing performance. It guards against online identity theft so you can shop, bank and visit social networks with confidence. It updates automatically, offers easy-to-use features and includes free customer support during your subscription period.
What's new in this version:
- Customizable Control Center gives you the option to choose your preference between a simplified screen or the traditional detailed view.
- Identity Safe alerts have moved to the Norton Toolbar so there are less interruptions while you are online - but your passwords are still as secure as ever.
- Bandwidth Management limits Norton's processes and updates when you have limited bandwidth or monthly downloads.
- Download Insight 2.0 now tells you how stable a downloa... See all new features
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All versions:
3.3 starsout of 430 votes
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Current version:
3.8 starsout of 45 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Good enough but renewal price rip off"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
Generally runs trouble free.
Spam filter good
Blocks malicious websites wellCons
Changing settings difficult to understand/do
Interface not very clear
Automatic renewal price 3 times higher than you can get it online!! I got Norton to match price or I walked.Summary
Good all round performer for everyday use. If you are a dedicated surfer on download sites or a techie, it is a bit clunky and old skool. It should be better with all the experience they have and the finance available. No excuses for overcharging.
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"8 years of good experience"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
I have been using NAV & NIS for last 8 years without a moment of problem. Once only, IE6 compromised an attack on my laptop but Norton took it on to itself, but didn't allow a single file's damage on my laptop. What's more Norton could recover itself from partial damage it suffered, all the while protecting my laptop as usual. Fantastic! A Pioneer remains a Pioneer.
Cons
My business laptop is 8-years old, so I would say, it can be lighter still!
Summary
First of all, know the system reqs. ,which product you need and exact procedure too install it. Buy a genuine one from a store.
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"a slick product scam"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
none at all because it's not working
Cons
It doesn't work. It disappears from the computer. It cannot be reinstalled and it cannot be uninstalled. A highly sophisticated scam that any school kid hacker can circumvent. Symantec have no professional computer experts to fix anything. It is just a robot organisation.
Summary
I purchased Norton Internet security 2012 from Amazon. After the usual download problems - uninstalling previous 360 all in one security etc. I got it finally going. After about one month of running it disappeared from my computer through it was still shown on the programme files. But it lost all functionality. I then used the socalled Norton power Eraser - last updated on the Symantec website in 1999!!!!!!!!!! - that of course did not work either except waste an enormous amount of time. When I tried to reinstall I got the usual message to remove the previous installation. HOWEVER SYMANTEC THEN STATED THAT I HAD NO NORTON PRODUCT ON MY COMPUTER YET REFUSED TO REINSTALL CLAIMING THAT THE OLD NORTON PRODUCT WAS STILL ON THE COMPUTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I finally gave up closed down the computer and then restarted my computer was totally haywire and I had to reload a previous date. Now I still have no Norton Internet Security 2012 except for a useless Norton disc. Of course Symantec do not respond to any complaints and their call center robots have no idea what to do to fix the problem. It makes Symantex Norton products look a real scam which instead of protecting your computer totally foul it up. Any suggestions what to do without wasting more time?
another irritating Symantec stupidity is to automatically assume that international english speaking travellers are locals and understand the local language. All information should be automatically in english and in the local language.
Updated on Apr 26, 2012 -
"I think it's good"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
Stopped a lot of parasites from China and hackers from India.
Cons
HOW COME IT'S SO EXPENSIVE??!!
They are not a generous company. I have seen Ashampoo and Wondershare giving TONS of free stuff this year (for all those people in need), but I NEVER saw Norton giving free licenses on Giveaway sites! Greedy-greedy! Ashampoo is so generous with their giveaways that I even forgive them their Spam. And Wondershare wins No. 1 prize in generosity, a company with a heart of gold. But Norton? No-o-o-o, no generosity here! Too busy counting your money eh Norton people?Summary
All I can say is that it took Revo 7 HOURS to uninstall this program! And I still had plenty of residue! Every day an ad would appear, with a message something like: ''Do you want to renew your antivirus?''. Today I use Avast Free, it's so good that I'll buy a Pro version this summer, not because I need it, but because I want to say thank you to those wonderful people.
April 23, 2012 (1:27 am)
Updated on Apr 22, 2012
Hello! It's me again. I just clicked on Avast site and I saw they have this special, their pro antivirus is $69.99 for THREE YEARS! It's a much better deal than Norton! Forget about Norton and grab this offer. And as for Firewall, get PC Tools, it's the best and it's free.
http://www.avast.com/en-ca/pro-antivirus
Updated on Apr 30, 2012Update: April 30, 2012
Hello!
I just saw on some giveaway site that Norton is giving a 6 month license. Please think twice before downloading it. It is not something you can just ''try'' and later uninstall. It is VERY DIFFICULT to uninstall this program. My computer did not work properly after I uninstalled Norton. After a few months my computer just stopped working. This is not something like a digital diary that installs and uninstalls in a minute. Once you download it - this is it! There is not turning back! I had this antivirus for a year and I liked it, but my weak computer did not survive after I uninstalled it. 6 months license is not really a giveaway, my advice is AVAST! It's the best! -
"Beware! Norton charges add'l $99 to remove virus!"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
Cheap and blocks many possible intrusion.
Cons
If you do get a virus that Norton does not block and can't remove using this program, it will cost you $99 to have them remove it for you.
Summary
I've been using Norton Internet Security for almost 3 years on two computers that only my husband and I use. Although we are very careful about our downloads and the sites we visit, one of our computers just got infected by a virus and Norton Internet Security did not keep it from happening. I used all the tool provided by Norton to remove the virus, but they could not remove it. So I called them. I was told that my only alternative now was to have one of their technicians access my computer remotely in order to remove it from my registry, and that I would have to pay them $99 for that "premium" service. I've already paid them to prevent this from happening and/or to help me remove virus that might get through. Now they want more. It feels like bait and switch to me.
When I talked to customer support it was obvious that they knew what this virus was, so it not something new that they have never seen before. Yet their "advanced" virus protection did not stop it and can't remove it . . . unless you pay them more money. Clever. I will be looking for another company that will stand behind their product. I hope you will not buy this product or any Norton product. -
"Number One for a Reason"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
It just takes care of things in the background. Won't bother you.
Cons
None that I have found.
Summary
After trying al the top tier Internet security Suites I always come back to NIS 2012.
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"well to may poor rating and what more no self defense !"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
good looking ,fast don't use to much hard drive resources.
Cons
no self defense even a root kit is able to trun off norton totally dafuq
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"Excellent product so far"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
Very light on system resources.I'd say if you have issues with this programme your laptop/pc is at least 10 years old.Also i do not do any illegal downloading so for the most part i do not have to worry about infections.
Cons
I'd like to see gaming mode introduced in the future.
Summary
I had a 3 year sub to macafee security centre after uninstalling this horrid software i installed norton 2012 now my core i7 lappy runs perfectly.
Obvious fake reveiw this guy has only made terrible reveiws of two other products.I hope Norton find and sue him for misleading and lying info.
Updated on Mar 21, 2012 -
"Chrome & G-mail users BEWARE!"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
I don't know yet! It got some good reviews from the techies.. but it remains to be seen how well it really works!
Cons
Chrome users should be aware that Norton Internet Security 2012 doesn't allow G-mail to load or stay loaded UNLESS you disable their ID safety utility and their Safe Web function & their toolbar!! They even blocked access to their OWN SITE! Right! In Chrome I couldn't access G-mail, Amazon, OR the Norton site after installing the program! Until I disabled all those little extras.. AND when I called Support, they told me various things such as "the problem is with Google" "oh, well, you can't open two web mail account inboxes at once" (I couldn't open even one after installing Norton!) Then I was told "Since the latest update (which I had just done) Norton will only work with IE!" ALL OF THAT WAS NONSENSE! Everything worked once I disabled all those extras! I still have Norton IS installed and so far all is well since disabling the extras.. it remains to be seen how well this program really works! Also: Couldn't adjust the FIREWALL settings!!
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"The best choice"
Version: Norton Internet Security 2012 19.5
Pros
-Fast and efficient. Installs quickly and uses little resources.
-Accurate. Detects and blocks bad files and sites
-Clean interface
-Custom scansCons
-They could get rid of the activity map
Summary
The older versions were horrible but since 2010 Norton has been the best suit I have ever used and it went from the worst to the best. My school has Kaspersky I.S. on the computers and they still got infected and Kaspersky could not get rid of the viruses. MacAfee once detected the windows kernel as a virus and deleted, destroying thousands of campus computers, but norton won't even let me compile a zero day virus or key logger from their source code let alone allow some random virus work. The best protection I could ask for.
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