Symantec outlines Norton Internet Security 2011 and future vision

The rise in Facebook-borne malware has prompted Symantec to implement a Facebook scanner in its latest product, launching next month.

By James Heffield / Wednesday, July 28 2010

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Improved system rescue tools and malware scanners designed for social networking sites are among the new additions to Norton Internet Security 2011, due for global release next month.

Symantec outlined its latest Norton suite at a presentation to media in Sydney yesterday. The company’s global security products director Dan Nadir said Norton Internet Security 2011 improved on security while reducing Norton’s drain on system resources.

“For the last three years at least we’ve managed to go faster. We’ve improved our performance each year.”

New features include a URL scanner that allows users to check a URL’s safety prior to visiting a web page and an “Online Family” service that lets parents keep tabs on their children’s online activities.

A Facebook link scanner has also been added to the software so it can scan links posted on Facebook for malware.

“Lots of people are getting infected through Facebook because they think their friends are sending them interesting videos or links,” Nadir said. “You click on one of them and it says you need to download a video codec to watch a video. If you accept, then you get infected. Lots of people are not savvy.”

The Norton Internet Security install wizard had been simplified, reducing the need for decision making during installation, he said.

A new Norton Bootable Recovery Tool and a last-resort cleanup tool called Norton Power Eraser had also been introduced.

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