Is Norton a Good Antivirus Software? | A Review of Its Features, Pros, and Cons

The main takeaway.

• ✅ This review will cover Norton's main features, pricing plans, and pros and cons
• ✅ Norton 360 is a popular antivirus and security suite that protects computers and other devices from online threats
• ✅ If you're looking to pair Norton with another software, TotalAV Antivirus is a great choice
• ✅ Antivirus software focuses on protecting against and mitigating threats, but they can't prevent data loss or hardware failures

The digital landscape is constantly evolving, so it's essential to equip your devices with robust security software. You might be wondering, is Norton a good antivirus? Yes, Norton is an excellent antivirus that offers real-time protection against viruses and malware. It also includes a smart firewall that monitors for online threats.

This article will delve into all the relevant details about Norton Antivirus software. We'll comprehensively review why Norton should be your go-to top antivirus choice. This review will cover Norton's key features, pricing plans, along with its pros and cons.

Norton 360 Comprehensive Review

Norton 360 is a popular antivirus and security software that safeguards computers and other devices from online threats. This comprehensive review will delve into everything you need to know about Norton 360 Antivirus. Specifically, this section will discuss the following key areas:

• #1. Norton AntiVirus Key Features
• #2. Norton AntiVirus Pricing Plans
• #3. Norton AntiVirus Pros and Cons

Let us take them one by one.

1️⃣1️⃣ Key Features of Norton Antivirus 1️⃣1️⃣. The main features of Norton Antivirus include: - **Comprehensive Protection**: Norton provides all-around protection against viruses, spyware, trojans, ransomware, and various other malware threats. - **Real-Time Scanning**: It offers real-time scanning to detect and remove potential threats, ensuring the safety of your device. - **Intelligent Security Technologies**: Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, Norton can identify and block new and unknown threats. - **Enhanced Firewall**: An integrated firewall strengthens network security, preventing unauthorized access and intrusions. - **Web Safety**: Blocks malicious websites, safeguarding you from phishing and fraudulent attacks while browsing. - **Automatic Updates and Cloud Backup**: The software automatically updates for the latest protection, and some versions offer cloud backup for data security. - **Performance Optimization**: Optimizes system performance, minimizing the impact of scans on daily usage without compromising protection levels. - **Secure Password Manager**: Helps securely store and manage login credentials, protecting your online identity. - **Multi-Device Support**: Norton products typically support multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. - **Parental Controls**: Allows parents to monitor and restrict their children's online activities, ensuring a safe browsing experience. - **24/7 Customer Support**: Offers round-the-clock technical support to address any queries or issues. Please note that specific features may vary depending on the subscription plan chosen.

The primary features of any antivirus revolve around security. This involves whether the software offers firewall protection, real-time threat defense, and even access to a VPN version when needed. This section will delve into the key security features of Norton 360 Antivirus, which include:

• 1. Intelligent Firewall
• 2. Virtual Private Network (VPN)
• 3. Ransomware and Virus Scanning
• 4. Password Protection
• 5. Device Optimization
• 6. Cloud Backup
• 7. Real-time Protection
• 8. Parental Controls for Monitoring Kids' Activity

1. Intelligent Firewall

One of the most sought-after features in Norton Security is its Intelligent Firewall. It is an antivirus program that aids in managing and monitoring the network traffic on your device. This control is crucial because it can detect potentially harmful files and activities that might pose a threat to your device. Think of the Intelligent Firewall as an extra layer of defense, safeguarding you from downloading malicious files.

Files containing viruses, malware, or worse can expose your network to hackers. Other benefits of an intelligent firewall include customizable rules, such as defining and modifying which programs can connect to the Internet.

Read More: Windows Defender vs Norton: Which One to Choose?

2. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

Norton offers a VPN as an additional feature to subscribers of their "Norton 360 Standard" package. A VPN is a Virtual Private Network that can hide your IP address. Norton Secure VPN accomplishes this through the company's global network of servers.

A VPN can prevent others from tracking your location or monitoring your online activity, which is essential for both your cyber-security and your privacy. In addition, such a VPN would ensure secure data transmission when using public networks.

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3. Malware and virus scans

Norton's malware and virus scan is the central protective feature in all its packages. This allows for scanning at multiple levels, including Smart Scan, Quick Scan, Full System Scan, Custom Scan, and Norton Insight Scan. As the name suggests, a Full System Scan checks all files and apps on your device for any signs of malware or viruses.

Quick Scan focuses on vulnerable areas, while Custom Scan lets you define which disks and folders to scan. Smart Scan checks for security, performance, and network issues. Norton Insight provides information about files to determine their credibility.

4. Password Protection

Norton Password Manager is a central component of the Identity Theft Protection, designed to safeguard your online information. The password manager helps users securely store their login credentials behind a firewall. Some features included in Norton's Antivirus Protection are the password manager, password generator, form filler, wallet, and a security dashboard for assessments.

If you have an online account on any platform, the password manager fills in the credentials for you. It also alerts you if your password is weak or vulnerable. On the other hand, a password generator creates a generic combination of characters, numbers, and special characters for your password.

5. Device Optimization

Your device storage is precious, and to help you manage it, Norton Antivirus provides Device Optimization. Norton Device Optimization improves the performance and health of your computer. With Disk Cleaner, Startup Manager, and Disk Space Optimization, Device Optimization enhances your computing experience.

These work together to scan and optimize disks by removing duplicate, old, and registry files. Also included is a startup manager that helps users choose which programs launch at startup.

6. Cloud Backup

Norton Antivirus includes cloud backup in its comprehensive security suite. This cloud backup protects your important files in case of a hack or data loss. The amount of cloud storage you get depends on your plan, with a maximum of 250GB.

These features allow you to customize which files and folders you want to back up to secure cloud storage. On the other hand, you can schedule backups to happen automatically. The cloud storage is encrypted to ensure that third parties cannot access your data.

7. Real-time Protection

Norton Antivirus provides real-time protection to all users with its continuous scanning of devices for threats and security vulnerabilities. Unlike custom scans, real-time scanning contributes to webcam protection, secure downloading of files, and more. This immediate response safeguard ensures your data is protected from any potential threats.

The software includes a browser add-on, Norton Safe Web, that rates the safety of a site. Its real-time protection categorizes threats in four colors: green, gray, yellow, and red. Green is safest; red is most risky.

8. Parental controls to track kids' behavior

Norton 360 Deluxe and the custom package Norton 360 with LifeLock include an additional feature called Parental Control. To ensure that only parents can access this feature, Norton provides it as a separate app called Norton Family. Parental control includes setting study time, web monitoring, search monitoring, location heatmap, and mobile app monitoring.

Better yet, you can set restriction levels by age group, or establish different rules for each child's device. One downside is that Norton's VPN can interfere with the parental control features, potentially leaving your kids exposed to mature content or images.

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②Norton Pricing Plans

Norton offers some of the most competitive pricing plans for most users. According to the Norton official website, the antivirus software has four pricing plans: Antivirus Plus, Standard, Norton 360 Deluxe, and Select + LifeLock. All these pricing plans come with a 7-day free trial and a money-back guarantee. We will discuss the three main plans offered by Norton:

You can choose a plan that suits your taste and the amount you're willing to spend.

The Pros and Cons of Norton Antivirus

Norton is an excellent antivirus software. However, like any product, it has its pros and cons. The table below outlines the advantages and disadvantages of Norton Antivirus software: | Pros | Cons | | --- | --- | | 1. Powerful virus detection and removal capabilities | 1. High resource consumption, which may affect computer performance | | 2. Real-time protection features | 2. Expensive subscription fees | | 3. Regular updates and upgrades | 3. May falsely detect or quarantine harmless files | | 4. Includes a firewall and other security tools | 4. Installation and update process can be complex | | 5. Offers identity theft protection | 5. Might not be as sensitive to certain malware | | 6. Supports usage across multiple devices | 6. User interface might be unfriendly for beginners | Please note that these pros and cons may vary depending on individual user needs and experiences.

Antivirus software alternative to Norton: TotalAV

If you want to use another software alongside Norton, a great choice would be TotalAV Antivirus. This tool is also very powerful and ensures you're protected in real-time from online threats, viruses, and malware. It checks your downloaded and installed files for viruses, safeguarding your computer from potential dangers.

It also boasts compatibility with multiple devices, working seamlessly on Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac. TotalAV is regarded as an award-winning antivirus solution for safeguarding against malware threats on your computer. Plus, it helps ensure safe browsing by protecting against phishing and spoofing attempts. Definitely give TotalAV antivirus a try for the best experience.

Related reading: Is TotalAV a Good Antivirus? (The Ultimate Review)

That is not to say that the US should scale back its engagement in Asia or abandon its allies.

TOTALAV

TotalAV is an award-winning antivirus and security software that provides real-time protection against viruses, malware, and online threats.

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Reward: Create a System Backup Add an extra layer of protection to your computer.

In addition to relying on antivirus and security software like Norton, you must add a layer of protection for your data. While antivirus software typically focuses on protection and remediation of threats, they do not guard against possible data loss or hardware failures.

With that in mind, the best system backup software tool to use is the Todo Backup utility. This software lets you back up your disks, operating system, and files, and save them to options like local drives, cloud storage, and external drives. Todo Backup offers a lot of backup and recovery features, including:

• Free cloud backup storage. The software offers flexible, secure, and cost-effective cloud storage. Todo Backup Software users can enjoy 250GB of free cloud storage.
• Backup management dashboard. Users have an easy-to-manage dashboard where they can delete, merge, split, and compress their backups.
• Automated backups. The software allows you to schedule backups daily, weekly, or monthly. You can also perform differential or incremental backups.
• Bootable backup and recovery. Todo Backup lets users create a bootable Windows disk. This is crucial for repairing or reinstalling computer systems.

Please make sure you download Todo Backup to your computer today and start using it.

Final Words

In this review, we've helped answer the question, "Is Norton a good antivirus?" The software offers top-notch security features, including a smart firewall, VPN, malware and virus scans, password manager, device optimization, and real-time protection. Be sure to get your subscription today.

In addition to using Norton, it is essential to create system backups of your data with the Todo Backup tool, providing an extra layer of security. This software offers free cloud backup storage, automated backups, and bootable backup and recovery features. Make sure to download and start using Todo Backup today.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Norton 360 Reviews

Here are some common questions about Norton AntiVirus software.

Is there any better antivirus than Norton?

While there may be other antivirus software that's better in some regards, we consider Norton to be one of the best. That's because Norton delivers 100% malware detection, protection against viruses, identity theft safeguards, a VPN option, excellent parental controls, a capable password manager, and more.

Is Norton better than McAfee?

Norton has the edge over McAfee with its superior protection scores, which include a secure virtual private network (VPN), ransomware and malware protection, and a webcam guard to protect you from hackers.

Can Norton stop hackers?

Yes, Norton can prevent hacking attempts as it offers 100% protection against malware and virus attacks. It safeguards your devices from various forms of malware and also features malware detection to protect against identity theft.