Norton Internet Security 2010 with Reputation-based Security Technology
Scores Perfect Threat Detection Rate
Symantec security solutions earn accolades from Dennis Technology Lab, AV-Comparatives and AV-Test.org
Sydney. – Oct. 28, 2009 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced that its industry-leading Norton security products received top reviews from three respected, independent testing bodies, Dennis Technology Lab, AV-Comparatives.org and AV-Test.org. These independent reports highlight that new Symantec technologies including codename Quorum and advanced heuristics are proven to increase effectiveness in providing protection against today’s real world threats. These groundbreaking technologies are currently available in the newly announced Norton 360 version 4.0 beta, Norton Internet Security 2010 and Norton AntiVirus 2010.
“These tests covered important, but very different benchmarks in security testing and yet each one arrived at the same conclusion — Norton is a best-in-class offering,” said Stephen Trilling, vice president, Security Technology and Response, Symantec. “Symantec’s products, with our new reputation-based security technology and advanced heuristics, demonstrated their ability to protect against millions of threats while maintaining among the lowest false positive rates and the highest performance across all tested products.
Dennis Technology Lab
Dennis Technology Lab recently tested the effectiveness of 10 well-known security offerings in a real-world anti-malware comparison test. Designed specifically to reflect a customer’s experience as closely as possible, the test exposed each of the 10 products to genuine Internet threats the way real users could have encountered them. Each test system was instructed to visit genuinely infected Web sites and downloaded files exactly as an average user would. The report shows that Norton Internet Security2010 achieved a perfect detection rate, and was noted as “the only product to do so” defending against all threats and fully protecting the system from attack or compromise. In stark contrast to the Norton results, the report noted that the average detection rate across all products tested was 78 percent.
AV-Comparatives
In the Anti-Virus Comparatives Test No. 23, performed by AV-Comparatives.org, Norton AntVirus 2010 received the top “Advanced+” rating for protection, awarded only to those products that have very high detection with few false positives. Symantec also received the top “Fast” rating for scanning speed. Amongst products receiving the top “Fast” rating, Symantec had the highest level of detection, representing the best combination of detection, false positives and scanning speed.
AV-Test.org
AV-Test.org recently performed a test of Norton Internet Security 2010 and noted that the product “was able to detect 459,872 samples, yielding an excellent detection score of 99.75 percent.” The test also noted that “Symantec’s product was tested on a PC that was already infected with 25 different malware samples. The product successfully detected and removed all infections.”
The Technology behind the Products
The core anti-malware technology and content evaluated in these reviews is delivered by Symantec’s Security Technology and Response (STAR) organisation, a worldwide team of security engineers, threat analysts and researchers dedicated to developing the world’s best protection against both existing and emerging threats.
STAR’s technology is leveraged across Symantec’s enterprise and consumer security product lines. This year, STAR, working with Symantec’s Consumer Business Unit, delivered a number of highly innovative new security technologies. These enhancements have contributed to the top levels of detection and performance achieved in these reviews. The innovative technologies introduced in Norton Internet Security and Norton AntiVirus 2010 include:
- New reputation-based security: Symantec’s new technology codenamed Quorum leverages the wisdom of Norton’s tens of millions of participating customers to derive highly accurate security ratings for virtually every file available on the Internet. This empowers Symantec users to make far better choices about the software they download and install on their computers.
- Advanced new heuristic protection: STAR has introduced a new generation of heuristics to detect unknown malware files before they can run and cause damage. This advanced approach detects entirely new malware, spyware and adware strains without fingerprints, instead searching files for suspicious sequences of instructions typically used by malicious software.
- Advanced new behavioral protection: STAR has completely redesigned the behavioral protection, enabling it to recognise and block thousands of new malware variants by analysing the behaviors of running software, all without traditional fingerprints.
- New lean and efficient engines: STAR optimised the core security scanning engines, helping to make Norton Internet Security 2010 and Norton AntiVirus 2010 the fastest security products in the industry.
Additional Resources
- See additional background on Symantec’s Reputation-based security technology (codename Quorum) here
- See what makes codename Quorum unique here
About the Reviews
Dennis Technology Lab is an independent UK-based test lab that specialises in ‘real world’ anti-malware tests. The “PC Virus Protection 2010”report is a result of testing conducted by Dennis Technology Lab which aims to compare the effectiveness of the most recent releases of popular anti-virus software, including a selection of commercial and free programs. This study was commissioned by Symantec and can be downloaded in its entirety here.
Anti-Virus Comparative No. 23 is the latest comprehensive security product evaluation conducted by the independent testing organisation AV-Comparatives. The reviewers evaluated security products from 16 major vendors in three areas: Overall Malware Detection, False Positive Testing and Scanning Speed. Products achieving top detection rates with a low number of false positives received the top “Advanced+” rating. For further information on the review, visit http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report23.pdf
The independent testing organisation AV-Test.org, conducts regular security tests of products from all major vendors. Further details are available at http://www.av-test.org/.
About Security Technology and Response
Symantec’s Security Technology and Response (STAR) organisation, which includes Security Response, is a worldwide team of security engineers, threat analysts, and researchers that provides the underlying functionality, content, and support for all Symantec corporate and consumer security products. With global response centers located throughout the world, STAR monitors malicious code reports from more than 120 million systems across the Internet, receives data from 40,000 network sensors in more than 180 countries, and tracks more than 25,000 vulnerabilities affecting more than 55,000 technologies from more than 8,000 vendors. The team uses this vast intelligence to develop and deliver the world’s most comprehensive security protection.
About Security Solutions from Symantec
Symantec helps organisations secure and manage their information-driven world with security management, endpoint security, messaging security and application security solutions.
About Symantec
Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organisations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.