Norton Internet Security 2010

It has only been a little more than a year since Symantec redesigned their security suite to meet standards that other security suites offer. The Norton Antivirus, without a doubt, had the most effective Anti-Malware and Virus scanner but was best known for eating into your memory. But things have progressed significantly ever since the launch of their 2009 version.

With their latest 2010 version Symantec continues to build on the unprecedented success they had last year. Just like their previous version, Norton Internet Security 2010 promises to do much more than just catch nasty malware. The security suite is the easiest to install and makes itself at home in a matter of minutes. The new version of Norton utilizes a new breed of security called “Quorum”. This newly developed security model basically rates files based on information it obtains from the Norton community. Information sent across includes file name, file size and hash key. Even the slightest modification in file size causes a change in the hash value and the overall rating of the file.

Compared to their previous version the new interface is slicker and easier to use, though there isn’t much of a difference. The main page displays general information of the security suite along with the amount of CPU clicks the security suite uses.

But if you want to dig deep, you will find plenty of additional links on the main page itself. For example, clicking on the performance link towards the left flips over and gives an in-depth detail about the amount of RAM and CPU consumed. You can also get a more detailed view of the graph by taking into account the last 10 minutes of activity to a maximum of 1 month. Clicking on the graph lists the processes that consumed the maximum number of CPU clicks. Norton System Insight on the other hand lets you view system activities such as application installation/downloads, disk optimization, threat detection and quick scans. Tabs are also placed at the top of the graph where you can get details for the current month and for the last two months. The Optimize option improves the boot time of your computer by rearranging file fragments into adjacent and contiguous clusters.

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Now if you thought that the new Norton Internet Security 2010 was all about fancy graphics, think again. Norton uses a combination of Quorum alongside their behavioral-based detection technology called SONAR2 with a standard set of signatures. Both features work hand in hand such that, if Quorum finds a file genuine then SONAR2 will brush aside the file but if Quorum encounters a suspicious file SONAR2 will challenge the files integrity. But the best part of the security suite is the firewall. No matter what the situation, the program will never pop up if an application requires Internet access. Instead, it automatically assigns the required rule that a program needs to access the Internet.

Taking memory consumption into consideration the program left a very small footprint when idle; less than 15 MB.

NIS 2010 is a must have if you are looking for an effective security suite that will keep hackers and viruses at bay.

System Requirements:
OS: Windows XP SP2 / Vista / 7
RAM: 256 MB
Disk space: 300 MB

NIS 2010 is available for purchase from the Symantec website and is priced at Rs. 1,450.