Editorial Feature - Computer Security - McAfee and Norton

Computer Protection

McAfee and Norton

by Michael E. Callahan aka Dr. File Finder

Part of the editorial series on computer protection

Two of the earliest providers of computer protection were McAfeeand Norton. McAfee started out with anti-virus and in the ensuingyears has branched out to cover spyware, personal protection, SPAM, andmore. By the same token, Norton, which is a product of Symantec, didpretty much the same thing. Early on these products were about the "onlygame in town" if you wanted protection from viruses. Today, they areboth facing stiff competition from a variety on newer players. Lets seewhat each has to offer.

McAfee PC Protection Plus

This package sells for $49.99 US for a 1 year subscription. With it youget a full range of protection, including:

• Anti-virus
• Anti-spyware
• Firewall
• McAfee SecurityCenter
• Backup and Restore
• Warns about spam, adware, and scams

McAfee PC Protection Plus constantly monitors you PC in a varietyof ways. The firewall portion keeps an eye on all outgoing and incomingInternet activity. The program constantly updates itself when you'reonline. The firewall, anti-virus, and anti-spyware are in some wayintegrated to protect you from "multi-pronged" attacks. One new featureis the McAfee X-Ray which is able to detects and neutralize"rootkits.

This suite also has a network manager that's supposed to watchyour network and alert you of potential problems. The program alsoremoves junk and works to keep your computer healthy. The McAfeeSiteAdvisor, which you can also download for free, gives you asafety rating on each of the Web sites you visit. You can purchase thisMcAfee package to cover three (3) computers for $99.99 per year.

Norton Internet Security 2007

This package sells for $69.99 and covers three (3) computers. It coversa wide range of threats including:

• Anti-Spyware
• Anti-Virus
• Removes worms
• Blocks identity theft
• Phishing protection
• Smart Firewall
• Rootkit protection

Norton Internet Security 2007 also provides protection for yournetwork and monitors your network settings to keep you safe. It's alwayson and constantly being updated so you always have the latestprotection.

The protection against "phishing" keeps you safe from fraudulentWeb sites that might try to scam you. This is also a complete packagethat's designed to thwart any online nasties that might try to get you.

Theres's also an add-on package that you can download that includesparental controls, anti-spam, pop-up and ad blocking, and blocking ofpersonal information being sent. A nice little add-on and as near as Icould tell, it's free if you own Norton Internet Security 2007.

Summing It Up

Both McAfee PC Protection Plus and Norton Internet Security2007 offer you a full range of protection from all of the mostcommon threats on the Internet. As far as price, the Norton packagegives you a better deal by covering 3 PC's for $30 less than the McAfeepackage. Both companies will make it easy for you to set up anauto-renewal feature so your coverage is continuous.

Are there any negatives? Well, I've had a few based on my personalexperience with both companies. With the 2005 Norton package I often haddifficulty with it connecting to obtain the updates. This may have beenresolved since then. The McAfee SecurityCenter wants you to useall of McAfee's products and if you don't it will constantly popup to remind you that you "aren't protected." That becomes more than abit annoying. Lastly, while companies make it easy for you to turn onauto-renewal online, generally you have to phone if you want tocancel.

The key is that each person needs to protect themselves against thethreats found on the Internet. There are a range of products availableand our goal is to provide you with information about some of the mostpopular, and effective, products. Next week we'll look at BitDefenderAntivirus!