Why I Hate Norton Symantec Security Products

I took a call from client number 5 who has had problems after installing Norton 360.  Forget about it being a processor and memory hog. Forget about it bringing older computers to their knees.  Forget about the five times I have personally tried to set up the backup feature and failed due to quirks with the Symantec web site.  Forget about the pricing.  This client cannot open PDF or other file attachments in e-mail.  Their business – just home mortgages – no forms or documents there.

I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT.  I don’t care if it’s the famous brand everyone has heard of.  Buy something else.  I am currently recommending the AVG line of security products.  There is even a free version for personal use on a home (non-business) machine.

If that doesn’t bother you, then here is an excerpt of an article that describes a conflict between Symantec AV products and the recent Windows XP Service Pack 3 update.  (link to full story)

Earlier this week, Microsoft posted a hotfix for a problem users first reported in mid-May. Users of Symantec’s consumer security software said that after updating their PCs to XP SP3, a bug emptied Windows’ Device Driver and deleted network connections.

Although Symantec initially blamed Microsoft for the snafu, it later accepted some responsibility. In late May, Symantec acknowledged that Microsoft’s updating process and a security feature in its own Norton-branded software combined to swamp the Windows registry with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of bogus and corrupted keys. That security feature, dubbed "SymProtect" by Symantec, was designed to protect the company’s security software from attack by guarding against unauthorized changes to the registry.

This is why I cannot recommend Symantec products, and why I do recommend Grisoft’s AVG line of security products.

PS – I really can’t stand McAfee either.  Similar issues, plus a real kludge of a user interface, and no ability to custom configure.  I DON"T CARE if Comcast gives it away for free, all I can say is its not worth the price.

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About the Author:

I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com

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