14 DAY TRIAL // Last week I ran into some trouble with this program while trying to install and review it, but now I'm back, and this time I will do my best to finish the job. Of course I could go on and find anything else to do, but since this is a new beta version of a Symantec product, I think it deserves my attention.
In the past I used successfully Norton System Works and I was very happy with it...until some years ago, when things got ugly for me. I don't like system maintenance suites that take up a lot of your system resources, no matter how good are the results achieved.
Today's topic is not system maintenance, but system security when facing Internet threats. Norton System Security 2007 Beta is the target, and the details will follow right away.
The installation kit has 38.5MB in size, and the setup process...well, the setup process made me quit reviewing this program last week. Let's follow it together...but before you start, find some patience, make yourself a coffee or a tea and get a comfortable chair!
I run the setup program...after 10 seconds spent to extract the installation files, I get to the license agreement screen. Here, we are reminded that this is prerelease software and other things that you should read, but they are not my topic today, so I hit Next.
What do I see here? Installation options screen, the ability to choose the destination folder - everything's fine here, but what about Symantec Yahoo! Toolbar? It seems we have an optional adware here, good to know that I can chose not to install it, and I suggest that you do the same.
Another Next button is hit, just to find out that my computer will be scanned for risks...no, thanks! Moving on...I start counting...
After six minutes, I get the "successful install" window. That should be the end of the beginning...or just the beginning of the end? I click Finish and after a while I get the activation screen! No thanks, I'll activate later.
Until now, it was fun. The hard part begins here. I don't want Live Updates! Doesn't matter, it's not my choice, so I have to update the program. The reason for this? My computer is at risk, this is the program's opinion.
Maxthon was stopped from accessing the Internet! Did I ask such a thing? Who cares, "Maxthon" sounds like a terrorist program, so it must be stopped at all costs. It seems Norton Internet Security is based on the "shoot first, ask questions later" strategy. This should be good for paranoid people, but not for me.
Apart from the annoyances caused by the updates and automatic Internet access blocking for my programs, I noticed that the interface, otherwise very nice, has some refresh problems. For example, it happened to see two sets of standard buttons on the same window (minimize, maximize and close), with those from the skinned program interface placed behind the ugly default ones. This shouldn't be much of a problem, so let's see what pops up next...
The system scan that should be performed after installing a new security suite like this is painfully slow, and for the viruses removed you can't get precise information. For example, I got the name of a trojan which was completely removed from a file and the browser cache, but I wasn't able to find out the name and location of that file.
After finishing the difficult setup process somehow (I wasn't able to update virus and spyware definitions at all), I found out that this program could really be useful in the future, if the update problems are solved and especially if you will gain the opportunity to change settings before it starts blocking automatically all your programs that try to connect to the Internet.
First of all, the program's interface. One of the things that I liked with Symantec's products after they got too boggy for me is the way their interfaces evolved from version to version. To be short, I'll say that with Norton Internet Security 2007 Beta they didn't make any exception, so the result is a modern, sharp-looking and easy to use interface.
The main program's window has two tabs available - Norton Protection Center and Norton Internet Security. Let's find out more about each one of these, shall we?
First stop, the Protection Center, handles three main topics: Basic PC Security, Connecting to the Internet and Transaction Security. Here you can only view the state of the security indicators, while working with the program's tools is something that you'll
Basic PC Security takes care of your system's updates, reporting the status of the items present here. You can see which items need your attention and the ones that are OK and then switch to Internet Security to take the required measures. Here you can find out if your virus and spyware definitions are up to date, if your system has been fully scanned recently or if your firewall is enabled, and more.
The Connecting to the Internet category displays the status of the advanced firewall, outgoing/ingoing email scanner and the intrusion prevention. For all the items displayed in the Protection Center, green means OK, while red ones require your attention or are disabled.
Last category, Transaction Security, has only one item. Its name is Fraud Site Protection and its purpose is to keep you and your valuable personal information away from fraudulent web sites. This is done using an active connection monitor that installs a toolbar inside Internet Explorer (without asking, of course) and reports if the current website is safe or not.
Last stop, the big Internet Security area. We have four stops here: Tasks, Settings, Reports & Statistics and Help & Supports.
There are three tasks available here, two of them concerning virus scanning, and the third one, general Windows security, such as passwords strength or Internet Explorer security settings.
After being badly impressed by the automatic settings of this application, it's time to get a good impression about the wide range of customizable settings available here.
The Settings section enables you to see the status of the Basic Security and Web Browsing items and change advanced settings for most of them, while the simple ones, like the fraudulent site protection, can only be switched on and off. Just to give you a little insight, Norton Internet Security can detect even joke programs, dialers and hack tools, while scan exclusions and real-time protection for instant messengers can be easily configured.
Once you get to make this program running, it may surprise you with its richness in features. Unfortunately the interface responds really slow to the commands issued by the users, and this seems to be another area that needs improvement until the final release, if Symantec wants to keep the existing customers and also gain some new ones.
In the beginning I was very upset and disappointed, but this program grew as I managed to enter its inner sanctuary and reveal some of its secrets. If you think you're up to it, then I wish you good luck and patience, you're going to need them both!
The Good
If configured well, Norton Internet Security 2007 Beta can be really helpful, allowing you complete control over the operations it performs. You have to spend some time setting it up, but everything's easy enough, once you finish the setup process successfully (I know I repeat myself, but it's very important to succeed, believe me!).
The Bad
Before everything else, I must say that the trial period offered here is a joke. One day before activation? Come on, even shoes can be tried for ten steps at least!
If I say that this is a Prerelease Version from Symantec, this should mean a lot for many users...anyway, to be more specific, there are two big problems: the setup process and updates on a side, and the default program settings, on the other hand. I am sure that I delivered enough details about these so far, so let's jump to the conclusions now.
The Truth
I have seen enough beta releases, and this is not the best one of them. The greatest drawbacks are that the trial version of only one day doesn't let you fully estimate the capabilities of this product and the setup/update processes have some issues.
Fortunately, this program promises a lot, so my advice is to wait for the final release...or take your chances with this beta, since after the first bumps, the ride becomes really smooth! Enjoy it!
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
