Although a significant and trusted name in security systems, Norton has had a reputation in the past for slowing down computers, using up massive chunks of CPU and getting in the way of operations. 2015 seems to have seen the end of this, and here at Laptops.co.uk we’re happy to see that the new Norton Security pack has become one of the best security suites of the year.
So what has Norton done to improve itself so much?
Norton changed its branding in 2014, putting away its Norton 360 and Norton Antivirus products, replacing them with the Norton Security range.
Design
The user interface has been reworked to be clean and modern. Modern applications are taking a turn towards simplicity, following the path forged by Google’s Material Design approach, and Norton has begun to follow the trend.
The interface of the security software is made up of a simple white background with lawn green icons. It makes everything easy to navigate and is incredibly user friendly. It is a nice new look which contrasts the more confusing interfaces that are in the market. Hopefully Norton will keep to this simplified approach.
(Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Norton’s website, which at the time of writing is a confusing blare of yellow, white and black.)
Norton Security Protection
Norton Security will be more than enough to protect the average internet user from threats.
A firewall will block out threats, while a web safety component will analyse any links you click on and make sure that they are safe.
The defender comes with a spam filter, a password manager and a form filler, as well as a network monitor, a bootable repair disc option, a start-up program manager, and some performance tools.
Furthermore, Norton Security will also analyse any behaviour that seems suspicious, in a cautious attempt to prevent any unknown viruses wrecking havoc.
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Performance
With this version, Norton have scaled back the intensive CPU usage that the scans will use up. While running a normal or a fast scan, Norton is comparable to other malware defence systems, and often takes up below the average amount of memory. When running a scan, you shouldn’t see much significant lag throughout the rest of your computer, and can carry on with whatever you are working on while the scan runs in the background.
Once downloaded, it doesn’t take very long to install. Roughly ten minutes will be needed, which is much less than some programs. However, an install is necessary.
In order to save on memory space, Norton have made a move to keep up to 80% of the program’s definition files online. These files tell the program what to look out for when scanning for viruses, and get updated every so often with new identified malware to scan for.
This should also help when updating the program, reducing the amount of files that need to be downloaded in order to keep the protection up to date.
Conclusion
All in all, Norton Security 2015 is a great product, that effectively makes your computer safe. It would have been nice to see some parental controls included in the standard version, but with a lot of these kinds of products, there is a premium and standard form.
However, the standard version is more than enough to cover you and make sure your computer and data is safe.
