Norton

Outstanding technology and protection plans. Norton is the best antivirus due to its accuracy, lightweight, advanced features, and an above-average VPN. Norton has scored positive reviews by millions of users. Norton works great on all platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Pros
Cons
Quick Stats

Everyone has heard of Norton antivirus; they have a long history of creating security products. Nowadays, Norton 360 promises security from viruses, spyware, phishing threats, and more without affecting device performance. It's the best out there, with over 50 million customers worldwide.
Is Norton the antivirus you are looking for? This article contains all the information to help you make up your mind.
Security and Protection
With over 50 million users, there's no need to question their top-notch security. Norton can scan any malware, stop any virus from taking over your device, and protect your data. For extra reassurance, it's best to check with third-party testing labs.
1. Third-party lab test results
Norton has been consistently scoring full points on different third-party testing labs. Be it protection, the effect on PC performance, usability, and how well it differentiates between true threats and false threats, Norton has you covered according to third-party experts, customer reviews, and their own word.
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AV-Test score results
- Norton 360 antivirus scores high on protection according to AV-Test. It gets a 6/6 score on its ability to detect malicious software.
- Norton 360 antivirus scores 6/6 in the impact on device performance department, which means it won't take up your device's resources.
- Norton 360 antivirus has a low false-positive rate with a 6/6 usability score. This means it's unlikely to mistake regular files for harmful ones.
- Norton 360 antivirus scores high on protection according to AV-Test. It gets a 6/6 score on its ability to detect malicious software.

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AV-Comparatives
- Norton 360 antivirus scores 2/3 stars (Advanced) in the impact on device performance department, which means it takes up a small part of your device's resources.
- Norton 360 antivirus has a 2/3 stars (Advanced) real-world protection score. According to a test conducted with 758 domains/files, this score checks the rate of detection of malicious files and domains.
- Norton 360 antivirus had a 45 false-positive rate (False alarms), with the industry average in the test being 17. While successfully blocking 99.5% of threats.
- Malware Protection Test: Norton 360 antivirus has a 2/3 (Advanced) score regarding malware detection. This was done by testing 10102 test cases with a 99.98% detection and block rate, with 41 false positives.
- Norton 360 antivirus scores 2/3 stars (Advanced) in the impact on device performance department, which means it takes up a small part of your device's resources.
Real-World Protection takes into account how well an antivirus blocks threats and can differentiate between threats and none threats.

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SE Labs
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Norton 360 scored (AAA) overall with a total accuracy rating of 96%.
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Norton 360 had a 702/750 with 94% legitimate accuracy, meaning it could differentiate the products accurately and classify legitimate applications and URLs.
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In terms of protection, Norton 360 detected 100 out of 100, blocked 99, and neutralized 1, earning a protection score of 100/100.
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Norton 360 had a protection accuracy rating of 399/399 (100%).
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SE Labs rank products as:
1. AAA is the highest score.
2. AA as (Intermediate).
3. B as (Lowest score).

2. Firewall and IDS protection
Another feature included is a full-scale firewall to prevent any outside attacks and prevent anyone from misusing your internet connection. This way, you'll protect your device from any viruses. This adds an intrusion detection system coupled with an intrusion protection system to ensure your network stays safe from outside attacks.
3. USB rescue toolkit
Norton provides users with a bootable recovery tool to enter the rescue mode as a failsafe mechanism for users to turn back to when an attack bypasses the first lines of defense and renders your device unbootable. This tool can be downloaded from Nortons website and kept on an external USB drive as a backup plan.
Norton Plans and Features
Don't know which plan is the best one for you? Like any other antivirus, the more you pay, the more features you'll get.
Let's look into the details of Norton 360 antivirus plans:
Plans | Norton 360 Standard | Norton 360 Deluxe | Norton 360 Premium |
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Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS |
Number of Devices | 1 | 5 | 10 |
PC Cloud Storage | 10 GB | 50 GB | 75 GB |
VPN | For 1 device | For 5 devices | For 10 devices |
Parental Control | N/A | Included | Included |
Free Online Support | Included | Included | Included |
Money-Back Guarantee | 60 days | 60 days | 60 days |
Price |
$39.99 | $54.99 | $69.99 |
This review is about Norton 360 international products. Keep in mind that there are different offers for US customers; for example, some plans include LifeLock identity theft protection, an unlimited number of licenses, and a different amount of storage space.
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Mobile app
You can download Norton Mobile Security for your phone, whether it's Android or iOS. It has a simple interface that reflects the features available with the application and those that are separate.
You can use the free version of Norton Mobile Security, which turns out to be only a 30-day free trial. You can upgrade it afterward to the premium version if you want to keep using it; it's one of the best antivirus software for Androids. If you already purchased one of Norton's 360 packages, you can log into your account and use it. Of course, unless you choose the Standard plan and decide to use it for your computer, you only get one device.
Features included in the Norton Mobile Security:
- Wi-Fi scan.
- Web protection.
- Safe search.
- App advisor for application privacy and battery use.
- Malware scanning and real-time malware protection for Android only.
Other features like secure VPN, password manager, or parental control are also available in separate applications.
All in all, the mobile application is user-friendly and great in detecting any virus using both real-time and malware scans. There's a Link Guard feature that checks if any site is safe, along with a Wi-Fi security feature to ensure the Wi-Fi you're using is secure. However, they had recently removed the anti-theft tool.
Extra features
There are six main extra features included in Norton 360:
- Cloud backup.
- Parental control (For Deluxe and Premium plans only).
- Secure VPN.
- Password manager.
- Webcam protection.
- School time.
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Cloud backup
Every Norton 360 plan comes with an easy-to-use cloud storage space to save your essential files.; starting with 10GB in Norton 360 Standard plan and up to 75GB in Norton 360 Premium plan. In addition, not every antivirus includes cloud storage, so this adds value to your package.
Why is cloud storage necessary?
Let's start by the fact that you'll have access to your files anywhere and from any device if you have access to the internet. Second, your data will be safe even if your computer is lost or stolen. And finally, it'll protect you against ransomware, which means hackers won't be able to access your files.
You have the option to decide which files to add, where to back them up, and automatic backup options (weekly or monthly). Automated backups are done even when you're not using your device, so you don't have to worry about losing any data.
The backup is organized and categorized based on the file type (Documents, emails, pictures, etc.).
If you're a parent, you're probably looking for a parental control feature with your antivirus service. Norton is one of the few services that offer parental control options, and it's one of the best.
You start by creating an account for your child, and then you're provided with four different age groups. Naturally, the younger the child, the more control and the stricter the rules are. You can also control other details or set them automatically based on Norton's default regulations.
The next step is to download the "Norton Family" app on your child's device. It's easy to set up but requires many permissions. However, it comes with an explanation for each.
Some of the features included in parental control:
- Location supervision: locates your child's device's via Google maps.
- Limit screen time and impose a curfew, which stops some apps from working at a specific time.
- Kids have access to parental control to know the "House Rules" their parents imposed.
While you can receive weekly emails about what your child has been doing, you cannot spy on your kids' communications.

Overall, Norton Family parental control is detailed, and you can easily customize everything. However, it's only available in the Norton 360 Deluxe and Norton 360 Premium, so if you're a parent, you should consider investing in one of these plans.
A virtual private network (VPN) can encrypt your IP address, protect you while using public networks, and even unblock geo-restricted content. Lucky for you Norton has an excellent unlimited and secure VPN with a strict no-log policy. This means that your browsing history is private because the data is encrypted so that no one can see what you're doing. Norton doesn't even record it.
Since you can hide your IP address by connecting to a secure server, Norton has servers in over 30 countries; this way, you can access content that isn't available in your country. For example, don't you want to stream a show on Netflix that isn't available in your country?
The downside of using a VPN is slowing down your internet speed. As a result, the further the server you connect to, the slower your speed will be if you're using Norton's VPN. However, it's suitable for you if you're not planning to use it to stream content from a server that's on the other side of the globe.
You can use Norton's Password Manager as a web extension or through Norton's interface to set the settings. It includes many features like:
- It stores your login information, text notes, contact details, and payment card details for autofill.
- Safety dashboard to assess and generate strong passwords.
- Automatic password change for over 60 sites like Facebook and Amazon.
After you install the password manager on your proffered web browser, you create a strong vault password. The Password Vault has a straightforward interface. You can use their password generator to create passwords that are hard to crack- they can be up to 64 characters, with any combination of upper-case and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.
It's important to note that the "Auto change Password" feature is extraordinary. Barely any password manager offers it, so that's a great benefit.
Another feature included in Norton's Password Manager is the standard username and password autofill. However, it doesn't work without clicking the icon placed in the password field for security reasons. In addition, there's an autofill for addresses and payment information that are saved in your password vault. So, it'll autofill all the info, and the best part is that you don't need to remember all these passwords anymore.

The Norton Password Manager is great and offers many beneficial features. As a product offered in the basic bundle, it doesn't have any restrictions and adds an extra layer of security for a safer internet experience.
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Webcam protection
Norton includes its SafeCam webcam protection, which alerts you to untrusted apps or pop-ups trying to access your camera.
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Norton School Time
Under our current circumstances, with COVID-19 taking over our world in 2020-2021, kids use their computers daily for remote learning. Norton used this as an opportunity to create a new feature in the Norton Family and Norton 360 plans known as School Time.
School time is a feature to help children focus during school hours. It's hard enough that it's online, but you can easily get distracted while using a computer. Therefore, this feature allows parents to make sure their kids are attending classes and doing schoolwork. How? By a few simple elements:
- Getting access only to specific categories during school hours.
- Greenlight specific sites that your kids need for online learning.
- Block sites that may distract your child.
- Set it for specific hours and turn it off any other time.
This way, parents can make sure their children work hard and are not distracted during online learning.
User Experience
After choosing your plan, installing Norton is straightforward and quick; they have spent the past few years making it a user-friendly antivirus. Nowadays, you can install it within a few minutes. Afterward, Norton will guide you through setting everything you need.
You can customize anything you want. For example, you have the option to exclude files or types of files for faster scanning, and you can schedule automated tasks like clearing browser history or file backup. To make it even better, Norton will do everything for you.

Norton provides the option of two interfaces, depending on your preference. You can either use the new "My Norton" interface or the "Classic" to keep old customers happy.
Nortons full scan can take up to 2 hours depending on how much space is used on your PC, but you can use your device while it's scanning without it slowing down. Norton uses a cache-based system to reduce the time on the next scan by marking what is safe for higher efficiency scanning. Try it and see its fast and simple security tools.
Customer support
If you need help, you can contact a Norton support agent via live chat, phone (available 24/7) or refer to the FAQs and community support forum.
Live chat is an easy, helpful way to contact an agent with any problem you face. In Norton's live chat, you'll be connected to an agent immediately. They can gain remote access to your computer to solve any problem or guide you step by step.
If you prefer calling, phone support agents are super helpful and polite. Additionally, you can refer to their FAQs, articles, or video tutorials for answers.
Email support is not provided as it wouldn't be logical to solve technical problems; it requires a lot of communication between the agent and the user.
Norton Pricing and Payments
When looking at Norton's plans, two main forms are available per plan: the monthly and the yearly plans. The details are as follows:
Plans | Norton Antivirus Plus | Norton 360 Deluxe | Norton 360 with LifeLock Select | Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus |
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Monthly price | N/A | N/A | $9.99/ month | $29.99/ month |
Monthly price (After 12 months) | N/A | N/A | $14.99/ month | $34.99/ month |
Yearly price | $19.99/ year | $49.99/ year | $99.48/ year | $299.88/ year |
Yearly price (After 1st year) | $59.99/ year | $104.99/ year | $149.48/ year | $349.99 |
The prices provided may vary from region to region.
Money-back guarantee
The good news is Norton lets you try their plans for free for the first 7-day. That's not all! But there's also a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Virus-free guarantee
According to Norton's website, "We're so confident in our antivirus and malware protection, it comes with our Virus Protection Promise. If your device gets a virus our experts can't remove, you get your money back." So, your money won't go to waste.
Payment methods
Norton provides for its customer the following means for payment:
- Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB).
- PayPal.
Final Verdict
Norton is one of the best antivirus programs with excellent security that includes parental control, a secure VPN, a password manager, cloud backup, and more. You get the value of your money due to the various features available in each package.
It is highly recommended to invest in the Norton 360 Deluxe or Premium plan if you're a parent; no antivirus program offers this feature. Plus, there's a 60-day money-back guarantee, so if you don't like it, you could cancel your plan anytime.