Software

Internet security software

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Review summary

Full review

Norton Security Deluxe carries on from the success of previous releases, with another top-level suite that has improved upon its predecessor on a few features. Norton have endeavoured to change the reputation of their security suites, which was that their software offered very good protection, but the sacrifice was always with performance speeds, as the older packages were sluggish and resource heavy. This is no longer the case. With low impact on computer resources, how does Norton Internet Security measure up to other suites we have tested this year? Lets take a look below.

Setup

Norton Security Deluxe offers smooth, hassle free installation, which was not the case with Norton before 2010. It’s incredibly fast too; from running the installer, the program is ready to use in approximately one minute.

While the design of the interface is very similar to that of previous years Norton have applied a few changes to offer a more simplified layout. The sleek black and yellow design is very easy to navigate, with a scan tool located on the left of the screen, live updates in the middle and the advanced tools are on the right. Clicking on each of these reveals more options related to that icon, and it is all very clean and intuitive.

Protection

As we have come to expect from Norton, Norton Security Deluxe offers top-level protection, stopping viruses, Spyware, Trojans, rootkits, keyloggers, phishing scams and spam. They also offer Instant Messaging and Facebook link scanning, network monitoring and security for Android phone users.

There is a powerful antispam component on this suite, which was very accurate in testing, not just in identifying and sorting spam, but also in recognising valid personal messages. Norton also offer excellent malware, rootkit and scarewear removal, removing more than any of the other suites tested.

Firewall - Norton Security Deluxe contains a two-way firewall that is intelligent and accurate, taking care of all the necessary firewall tasks without bothering the user. There are options to change the settings for the more advanced user, but most users will be more than happy with the protection the default settings offer, which is excellent against Web-based threats.

Parental controls - The parental control tools on Norton Internet Security allow users to create a unique profile for every member of the family. Time spent online can be restricted, as can the type of websites visited. This is all recorded too, so it is easy to check which websites the children have been visiting.

Effectiveness

Norton Security Deluxe performed very well in independent testing.

AV-Comparatives awarded it the Advanced+ certificate, and ranked Norton Norton Security Deluxe the highest in their protection tests.

AV-Test scored Norton Security Deluxe 15 out of 18 points in their tests, meaning it is AV-Test certified. It scored a 5.5 rating out of 6 in Protection, 5.5 in Usability and a 4.0 in the Repair section.

Performance

Norton used to have a reputation for producing suite’s that sacrificed performance speed for heavy protection. Fortunately, since 2010 this has no longer been the case. Browsing speeds remain unaffected by scans using Norton Security Deluxe, and boot time/shut down time were only marginally slower (7% and 11% slower respectively).

Scans, however, were a little slower than we had hoped, with a quick scan taking just over 2 and a half minutes, and a full scan lasting 1 hour 40 minutes. However, as the impact is so minimal on computer performance, users can go about their business with these running in the background. One small problem here is that there is no progress meter, for scans, so it can be hard to work out how long a scan will last for.

Features

Silent mode – Puts alerts and non-critical updates on hold during gaming or watching films

Help & support

Norton provide 24/7 support via chat, telephone and email, plus comprehensive support documentation in the way of a 504-page manual which accompanies the suite. The free chat and phone support is only available for 1 year from installation date. There is also a wealth of online support, including downloads, tutorials, a community forum, plus an extensive FAQ section.

Overall

Norton Security Deluxe is genuinely a complete internet security solution, excelling in many areas (for example antivirus, antispam, firewall, malware removal) and offering great protection in all areas. If we were to find faults, it would be that there are some features missing, such as the scan monitor, and it is one of the more expensive suites out there, but these are small gripes as overall Norton have delivered a very comprehensive product.

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Looking for more internet security software reviews?
See our side-by-side comparisons and in-depth reviews

1. AVG Internet Security
2. Avira Internet Security Suite
3. Avast Internet Security
4. Bitdefender Internet Security
5. ESET Internet Security
6. F-Secure Internet Security
7. G Data Internet Security
8. Kaspersky Internet Security
9. Trend Micro Internet Security
10. Norton Security Deluxe
11. McAfee Internet Security
13. Panda Internet Security
14. Total Defense Internet Security
15. VIPRE Internet Security
16. Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus