What do I need for my computer security other than Norton Internet? What does Norton Internet NOT protect me from?

I am paying my ISP a monthly fee for Norton Internet, but I receive messages from Symantec advising me that I am NOT protected. I'm new, confused, and welcome help! Asked by thunderchicken 50 months ago Similar questions: computer security Norton Internet protect Computers > Hardware > Desktops & Laptops.

Similar questions: computer security Norton Internet protect.

Sometimes Norton misses a lot! Often the configuration is off too... If you're paying for Norton and it has problems it might not be correctly installed. There are so many flavors that come from so many places, that they do get messed up on occasion -- one version from your ISP, another from you PC Manufacturer, etc.If correcting that is the route you want to go it's usually best to record all your license numbers and then use their Norton Removal Tool (not add/remove programs) and then follow the directions after uninstall to get a clean installation.

The removal tool and instructions can be found at: service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.... After removal and reboot an automatic page comes up on your machine with instructions for the clean install. Alternatively, you can dump Norton and go with many other good anti-virus programs, including AVG which is free at: free.grisoft.com No matter which program you choose to have, both need some assistance, and a great tool for either is Windows Defender, which is available at: microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/so... I'm sure other folks have other favorites in the free anti-virus world. Most of the good ones are used post-infection to remove whatever you may have, but some are proactive as well, look at Spy-Bot Destroyer from http://www.safer-networking.org.

Hope that helps! .

Norton and safety Norton Internet Security will protect you from most viruses and trojans. It includes Norton Firewall, to protect you from hackers. And depending on which version you have (2007 or 2008) it may include ad-blocking, parental controls, and pop-up URL1 may not offer good protection against adware and spyware.

However - and here’s the important point - Norton Internet Security can’t offer you anything that isn’t done BETTER by free security programs online. And Norton puts a heavy burden on your computer, making it run more slowly. You don't need to pay an extra "security" fee to your ISP.

The free programs and techniques I recommend below will protect your system from a wider variety of threats, do it more effectively, and will take far fewer system resources to run. I wrote this list up a while ago to pass on to friends and family who were having problems with security. Not one of them has had a problem since.

All of these programs are very reputable, and come highly recommended by computer experts. Let me say it again: all of this stuff is absolutely free. The links to the sites where you can download the software are included in the list (just click on the name of the software).

I’ve tried to explain everything as clearly as possible, but if there’s any point that you’d like me to explain further, please let me know. 1. Windows Update.

Make sure that it’s set to automatically update, but do a manual update just to make sure that your system is absolutely up-to-date. You should be able to start it by clicking on the Start button and looking at the items listed at the top.2. If you don’t have a firewall running, activate your Windows firewall.

Click on Start, Help and Support, and type in "Firewall". It will walk you through the process. There are better firewalls out there (hardware ones, for example), but if you don’t have one running right now, at least activate the Windows one right away.

3. Anti-Vir.An antivirus program is an absolute necessity these days. If you don’t have one, install this.

If you’re using a commercial antivirus program such as Norton or McAfee, I strongly recommend uninstalling it and installing Anti-Vir in its place; in recent tests, Anti-Vir has been far superior at detecting and stopping previously-unknown infections.It also uses far fewer system resources than Norton or McAfee; replacing either of those with Anti-Vir will speed up your system noticeably! Updates are released almost every day for the program, and are usually installed automatically in the evening (you’ll see a splash screen asking you to consider buying the commercial version, but you can close it with a single click). If your system isn’t on in the evening, you’ll want to update the program manually at least once a week (it will warn you at startup if it hasn’t been updated recently), but that’s a quick and easy process.

Once you’ve installed it, update it and run a scan. Remember that it’s bad to have two anti-virus programs running simultaneously on your system, so if you do decide to install Anti-Vir, be SURE to uninstall any other antivirus program first. Anti-Vir is generally agreed to be one of the best anti-virus programs around.

Windows recognizes it and will work with it. 4. Ad-Aware.

Pretty much everyone agrees that this is an extremely useful program - it finds and removes adware and spyware. Download, install, and update it. Then run a scan.5.

Spybot-Search & Destroy. Another adware/spyware remover. Download, install, update, scan.

Also use it to immunize your system, which will protect you in other ways.6. SpywareBlaster. Unlike the Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D, SpywareBlaster isn’t a scanning program; instead, it blocks all sorts of bad stuff, and sets your internet browser to protect you from websites that try to exploit your system.

Download, install, update, and enable all protections. I strongly recommend updating ALL of those programs weekly (at least) and scanning at least once a month. Once or twice a week would be better.It’s a good idea to set up a regular time to do your updates.

Updating all the programs normally takes less than ten minutes with a typical broadband connection. The scans will take longer to run, so I suggest that you run them when you won’t be needing to use your computer for half an hour or so per scan (the time neeed depends on your computer speed, the size of your hard drive, and other factors). Reminder: every time you update SpywareBlaster and Spybot-Search & Destroy, you need to update the system immunizations.

But that’s really quick and easy to do. Just read the menus and follow instructions.It’s basically a one-click operation for each of the two programs. If you’re using Windows Internet Explorer (IE), you should also consider switching to the FireFox browser instead of Internet Explorer.

IE isn’t very secure. If you do switch, make sure to activate SpywareBlaster’s FireFox protections. Oh, and the Google Toolbar is available for FireFox and for Internet Explorer.

It blocks pop-up ads (not 100% of them, but the vast majority), and has a lot of other useful tools, including a great built-in spellchecker for web forms.It even has a customizable dictionary! If you use Outlook or Outlook Express for your email, it would be smart to change - those two programs are the ones most often targeted by hackers. Personally I strongly recommend switching to an online mail service such as Gmail (which I use myself).

You get virtually unlimited storage, spamblocking is handled by the service owner, you can access your email from anywhere, and it’s free; what’s not to like? But if you want to keep your mail on your local system rather than online, you might want to switch to Thunderbird; I’ve never used it myself, but I’ve heard good things. If you find yourself having problems with spam, K9 or POPfile can help; those are both "smart" programs which learn to identify spam very quickly and will soon cut your spam by 99% or more.

They’re slightly complicated to set up, though, so I really do recommend switching to a service like Gmail instead. Good luck! Sources: Experience and research .

Recommendations... First of all I would suggest dumping Norton. Why pay for something when you can get free protection that in my opinion is superior than Norton. Norton is not a bad program but I think there are free programs out there that are superior.

First for anti-virus I would recommend: AVG from grisoft It can be downloaded free at this web site. download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition... AVG runs in the background and you can schedule it to do a daily scan. It will automatically update with latest definitions each time you start your computer.

For adware and spyware I would recommend: ad-aware and spybot download.com/Ad-Aware-2007/3000-8022_4-1... download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-... Both these are spyware scanners. You would have to run them manually every couple weeks or if you are getting a lot of popups or you have other reason to believe your computer is infected. You would be surprised how many web sites install garbage on your computer.

Another spyware option is: Windows Defender microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/so... This one will run in the background and you can schedule scans. With the combination of those programs you should be able to protect your computer from about anything that tries to attack your computer. I know it seems like a lot and should be unnecessary but the above is what I would recommend.

Both AVG and Windows Defender are very good and those two alone should provide you very good realtime protection. Run ad-aware and spybot maybe once every couple months and you should be in great shape. I guarantee the above will protect you better than Norton.

ChicagoTRS's Recommendations Norton, Ad-Aware, SpyBot 1-2-3 punch against scumware : An article from: Boulder County Business Report Amazon List Price: $10.00 .

While Norton's Internet is a good product, the warnings are correct, your computer isn't completely protected... There are several products on the market, and i'm not sure why your paying your ISP for Nortons. I do want to make sure your running your updates on a regular basis. If not, you don't have the most current Anti-virus definitions and that might be your problem.

Norton's Internet security package should have everything you need, here is what it does for your computer: Features Detects and eliminates spyware Removes viruses and Internet worms automatically Protects email and instant messaging from viruses Protects against hackers Blocks identity theft by phishing Web sites Improved performance delivers faster starts and scans. NEW One click access to expert support. NEW Network security monitoring helps protect your wireless network.

NEW Norton Identity Safe delivers enhanced identity theft protection. NEW Works quietly in the background. NEW Prevents virus-infected emails from spreading Rootkit detection searches underneath the operating system using patented technology Includes protection updates and new product features as available throughout the renewable service period ** On-going Protection option automatically renews your subscription *** Most 'major' ISPs provide some downloads for free.

For $69 you should of been able to purchase the same Norton's Internet Sercurity package and had protection for a full year. If you add up your monthly payments to your ISP, I would hope they don't charge that much for a full year, else dump them, purchase the software yourself and load it. I have listed what the different Nortons products do below.

Which Norton Solution is right for me? Norton AntiVirus 2008 $39.99 Norton Internet Security 2008 $69.99 Norton 360 $79.99 Buy Download | Buy Package Buy Download | Buy Package Buy Download | Buy Package Block hackers from accessing your computer Prevent unknown threats from entering your PC Remove viruses from email and instant messages Block Internet worms at point of entry Stop spyware from tracking you online Block spyware from hijacking your computer Guard against online identity theft Inspect Web sites to make sure they're not fakes Remove dangerous threats from files you download Block suspicious programs Allow only authorized programs to connect to the Internet Protect valuable files from computer disasters Restore damaged or deleted files and folders Enjoy secured online storage service † Find and fix problems that slow your computer Remove unwanted Internet clutter and temporary files You might also try... Avg is a good basic Anti-virus software, and best of all it's free. Well rated, free firewall for your computer.So again, my final advice, run the update on your system for the latest Nortons downloads and reboot.

See if it still gives that error message. Good luck Sources: Personal Experience..

AVG Anti-Virus and AVG Anti-Spy ware are TOP! Since May 2007 I use AVG Anti-Virus and AVG Anti-Spyware Since then I have had no problem AT ALL any more on neither my Desktop PC nor my Laptop. The programme is wel designed, very simple and has a clear and understandable structure.

The Updates are daily and automatic. I have never needed any explanation. If anything like a Nobel Prize for Antivirus activity would exist, AVG would be the winner..

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My PC came with Norton Internet Security which I want to remove now that Symantec wants money. Is the removal safe?

My dell computer came with 1.5 years of Norton security. The programs keeps getting erros & needs reinstallation.

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