Symantec never liked competition and this is why they have released Norton 360, a multivalent software that is designed to replace all the anti spyware and antivirus softwares you have installed on your computer.

As usually when they do something, they tried to make it big. And big it is. With a convincing Symantec style interface, they have included in Norton 360 all the instruments a user needs to feel completely safe from attacks and malware. Norton 360 is formed of four parts, each of them being instructed to protect and optimize your computer, secure your online transactions and to protect your files by creating backups and storing them on their servers.

They have not given up the allergic reaction to other protecting software and from the beginning of the installation, Norton 360 will run a check to see which are the competitors. We tested the application having installed three security programs that were able to coexist on the system, but it looks like Norton 360 cannot symbiotically live with Kaspersky (the beta version), Spybot - Search & Destroy or Windows Defender. So, before installing the Symantec tool dictionary, you'd better uninstall the others.

Norton 360 is like any other security application, designed to keep you safe from all the malware floating on the Internet, only it has some extra features that can make a significant difference. Some new features I encountered during the testing included Check Weak Passwords, an option that allows the software to scan your computer and ferret out passwords that are not as safe as they should be or that make your system vulnerable.

Transaction Security feature will give the user the much needed protection against phishing, the online fraud that is so trendy nowadays. By activating this option, your browser will be set to authenticate genuine websites and detect the fraudulent ones.

Back Up and Restore option lets the user keep the most important files safe. The maximum amount of data to put in the Symantec vault is 150 MB right now. But I must remind you that this is a prerelease version and in the final release, the amount may increase. The default files included belong to categories like Contacts, Music, Emails, Pictures, Internet Favorites and Other Files (here's where you can add your files).

The main "panel's" last option is reserved to seeing the activated options regarding your computer's optimization status. Running the Tuneups includes cleaning up the Internet and Windows temporaries, the Internet search history and page history, while Optimize Disks is defragmenting your hard drive. For this to work, you're going to need at least 15% of free disk space, otherwise, the application will not move a muscle.

Up in the right hand corner there are the settings for the application: Scans and Tasks and Settings. Scanning the computer will not only rid it of unwanted malicious items, but will also free disk space. There are three types of scans available.

Quick Check examines only the key areas of the PC for viruses, spyware and security vulnerabilities. The Comprehensive Check will thoroughly examine the machine for malware and will even perform a backup, optimize the disks and free disk space. Let Me Choose option is exactly what it sounds like: it allows the user to check the options s/he needs (verification for viruses and spyware, checking for weak passwords and browser security, network address check) and you can select PC Tuneup choices and Backup and Restore.

Tasks and Settings. That's the core of Norton 360 as it provides the user with statistics about the job the software has done: the number of files that have been cleaned up, purged or defragmented, the phishing protection activity, or the security enforced.

The left side of the screen covers the Settings, which allow changing the backup settings, offers access to the Advanced Settings, which let you choose for what malware Norton should inject your system against. Firewall Protection can be configured to the smallest detail, the user being able to set the general and firewall program rules as well as the IPS (Intrusion Prevention Signatures).

The Firewall Settings let you add trusted zones, set the security level, choose the processes that should have access to the Internet or determine how the firewall should handle the incoming and outgoing network connections.

Task Scheduling programs the virus and spyware scans as well as the backup copies. Manage and Approve is designed to reverse the recent repairs or to customize security settings. The categories included are Virus and Spyware, Browser Settings, Network Addresses, Windows Passwords and Activities (the richest category, lets the user select the activities Norton 360 should run automatically).


The Good

I must confess that the software is pretty minutely developed and includes everything a user needs to secure his/her computer and more. The maintenance components are definitely an asset as well as the backup option.

The Bad

After a long trouble with installing the software, I was confronted with the live update and the quick scan which took more than I expected. Not to mention the memory usage during and after the installation that crippled my 512MB system (although this is twice the required minimum).

Keeping the CPU at 100% until reset action was taken is definitely not very pleasant.

The Truth

I hope all the baddies will be fixed as the software really deserves a chance on your computer, an all-in-one security application that will also keep your machine in tip top condition due to its defragmenting capabilities.

If you get through the Symantec account, live update and the quick scan, and if you get out of a Comprehensive Check without having your computer "breathing heavily", then give it a try.

On the other hand, the application is designed to work on the much awaited Vista so the amount of resources required is understandable. And if you think of 1GB of RAM as the new standard, then it really has a good memory usage.

Here are some snapshots of the application in action:


Follow the editor on Twitter @ionut_ilascu