|
Norton AntiVirus
2005
Norton AntiVirus
2005 once again returns for another year of protection against the
insidious and malicious world of viruses that unfortunately plague this
modern era of computers. Fortunately this current version contains a
plethora of new updates that includes the new Quick Scan tool which
automatically searches for viruses following updates and an all new and
improved worm detector that guarantees users the best possible
protection against these deadly attacks.
The installation of Norton AntiVirus 2005 was a breeze and it
auto-installed once the CD was inserted into the CD-ROM drive. Symantec
have also listened to some of the criticisms from previous versions and
have improved the speed of the installation of this package. After the
quick pre-setup scan, Norton installs itself and it automatically
downloads the latest virus definitions and runs a compulsory post-setup
scan to ensure that there are no hidden nasties on your computer.
Unlike previous
versions, this current incarnation of Norton AntiVirus 2005 took around
30 minutes to install the program and check the computer system for any
inconsistencies. Although the initial setup time has been reduced, the
computer still performs excruciating slow during this period and I
recommend that you leave your computer alone while it is installing this
must have piece of software.
Symantec have also
improved the protection alert area of the software package that now
allows the user to specify when it should deactivate in order to install
some programs that require nothing to be running at the same time.
However, the most impressive feature of protection alert is that the
user can also specify when it should be reactivated.
Norton AntiVirus
2005 also scans and cleans instant-messenger attachments, as well as
inbound and outbound e-mail. However, all of Norton's best features are
carryovers from 2004. This year's version adds Norton Internet Worm
Protection, a lightweight firewall feature that blocks unsolicited
inbound traffic, including nasty troublemakers such as the Blaster and
Sasser worms. Unlike a full-on firewall, however, Worm Protection won't
block outbound traffic, making it no more effective than the free
Microsoft firewall included in Windows XP SP2.
Norton AntiVirus 2005 also scans for hidden spyware threats, including
adware, dialers and keystroke loggers that record every key you tap.
These are extremely dangerous if you are using your computer for
internet banking. Unfortunately, its real-time scanner doesn't detect
spyware but only identifies them after a scan of your system.
In conclusion,
Norton AntiVirus 2005 is a very able software package that stops all
known viruses (including its non-virus breathen like worms and trojan
horses) and it's good to see that Symantec has addressed a variety of
the problems from previous versions. The only downside to the program is
that Norton AntiVirus doesn't contain a firewall or that it cannot
detect spyware in real-time but apart from that I would recommend this
program to anyone who doesn't own a decent anti virus package. |
