Many people prefer free stuff and this is why so many free security programs are out there without requiring payment. Yet, this does not mean that all these programs cover the same needs. If you are truly in search of reliable security online, a premium plan is the best solution for you. In this review, I am going to analyze Norton Security Premium. Norton is one of the major companies in the field of cyber security, which makes it interesting to see what my verdict will be. Well, how good is Norton Security? Let’s see!
Installation
There is nothing tricky about the installation of Norton Security Premium. It offers you a direct full installer and this is by all means a good thing. Inside, you will find a file to execute (NSBU-TW-22.5.0-EN-US.exe). You simply follow the path and you are done within moments of the installation launch. They will ask you if you want to join Norton Community Watch, after finishing with Norton security premium download. This is helpful and hence we recommend you to agree.
Once the installation is over, you will need to sign in. Now, I had an account already and I used this one. If you don’t, you will have to create a new Norton account. Some information about you (like your email address and country of residence) is not violation of privacy, but you can check out their terms and policies. With the new account in place, Norton Security Premium will welcome you. I did not have to restart my computer, after the installation. Of course, it is always advisable to do so and hence I did.
If you know what you are doing, skip the “What’s New” section after restarting. If not, take the tour. It does not last much and it includes some details that will help you better handle Norton.
Ease of Use
Reviewing Norton Security, it is imperative to see if it is easy for everyone to handle it. Well, the user interface is simple and easy to navigate. White and green colors prevail, with enlightening tools. At the screen, you will see if you are protected or not. You will also see the last scan and the updates on the software. Be prepared for restarts throughout the use of Norton Premium Security, which can be annoying. The original program does not seem up-to-date and this can be a problem. It may also deteriorate user experience.
Overall, you can configure everything from the interface within minutes. Everything runs smoothly as you go and you have full control over heuristic protection, removal of infected folders with or without asking etc. This is cool.
Virus Protection
As soon as you install the Norton Security Toolbar with the add-ons required, you are OK (supposedly). The toolbar indeed has a lot of different uses. Norton Safe Search Extension is an add-on that wants to help you with your searches online. Instead, it uses Ask.com and this is not the safest way to go for online searches. The same goes for Norton Home Page Extension. Next, besides the Security Toolbar there is also Norton Identity Safe. With this add-on, you get to create a vault with passwords for your convenience.
This is all in theory. When trying to access malware-infected sites, Norton Premium Security was not as reliable as we would have expected. Sometimes, no warning came to us. When it comes to viruses on USB flash drives and external drives, though, the performance is definitely greater.
Firewall Protection
Norton Security Premium 2016 boasts a decent firewall. According to the level of security you are trying to accomplish, there is the Public and the Private mode for the firewall. You can change these settings as you go, of course. In the case of Public mode, things ran smoothly throughout the testing. When I changed into Private mode, more threats came up. The most important was the vulnerability of MITM (man in the middle) attacks. So, it all depends on your preferences and needs from the security suite you use.
Features
Norton has done a good job, as far as special features. First of all, you get to protect multiple devices at once. Up to 10 different devices require one subscription. So, you can protect your PC or Mac, your Android and iOS running devices at no extra cost. Norton mobile security premium scores high, another thing to keep in mind. Mobile devices multiply by the minute. They also boast an award-winning technology that alerts you about suspicious Android apps. This alert comes before you download them and hence it is a great asset.
An interesting thing to consider is their promise of 100% virus removal – or else you get your money back. For easy backup, the company offers 25 GB of secure PC cloud backup, with additional protection against ransomware. Last but not least, there are special arrangements and tools for families to use. In this way, kids can surf the web and not risk their safety while doing so. You can track their online activities and see what they share online, putting limits on that.
I have also referred to some extra features earlier in this review, at the “Virus Protection” section. Norton Identity, for example, allows you to safely store passwords and secret notes, as well as online transactions. With Norton Performance, you get the chance to optimize the performance of your computer or other device. Still, we can find tools like File Cleanup on OS – so, perhaps it is not an essential part of the security suite.
Cost & Payment
Currently, you can buy your subscription for Norton Security Premium at $59.99 for a whole year. This covers the use of up to 10 different devices and features a discount of 30 dollars (initial price $89.99). For two years, the price is $119.99 instead of $179.98. You get a 60-day full money refund guarantee. The payment methods include American Express, Master Card, Visa, Discover, JCB and PayPal.
Resource Usage
Norton ranking on resource use is average. This means that the time to boot is neither too awesome nor too slow. When scanning the full capacity of the computer, it is true that the resource use is higher. But, that happens with all security suites. Of course, it would be great to have even faster feedback and lower resource usage.
Technical Support
This is a section that scores really high for Norton Security Premium 2016. As you can see from their official website, they are serious about support and customer care. They offer live chat or the ability to call an agent of the company at all times. Spyware and Virus Removal is another part of the customer care that can come in handy. Upon subscribing to the plan, you get the opportunity to clean your computer from all the viruses. This happens with the help of an expert. They also have 100% guarantee that you will get your money back, if this fails.
Another thing to point out in the section of technical support is the update center of Norton. This way, you are always using the latest version of the security suite. This in turn means that there is no known threat that should worry you. With extras such as Security 101 and with extensive details in the community of Norton (forums and protection blog), customer care is one of the best things about the company.
Changing Defaults
The default settings of Norton are decent and hence you will not need to change them. If, however, you want to enhance your protection online, it would be wise to change the automatic scan frequency. By default, there is a full scan every month or so. You can change it to once every fortnight or even once every week. This will strengthen the performance of Norton Security Premium a great deal.
Bottom Line
I have finished reviewing Norton Security Premium and the results are quite controversial. For example, the user interface is stunning and it helps with the optimal functionality. This means that you can control every single aspect of the security suite, without having to be tech savvy. The layout is elegant and practical. Throughout the tests for malware and virus detection, the performance was not what I had anticipated. In some cases, there were huge malware types left undetected. This can compromise the security of a computer, without any second guessing.
The technical support is thorough, helpful and covers the needs of even the most discerning customer. The use of resources for running the scans is average, meaning nothing exceptional. The addition of extra features for convenience and protection are a decent improvement, on behalf of Norton. Everyone can benefit from the backup option of 25 GB and families will agree that the family features are useful to them. The cost is neither too high nor too low, making this purchase a fair bargain. There is full money refund guarantee for two whole months, which eliminates the risk of subscribing to something you end up hating.
As a whole, Norton Security Premium is a decent option for your computer. The company needs to pay more attention to the virus and malware removal performance and they should keep doing their thing, in terms of technical support, extras and cost.
