Norton Antivirus Security Suite Review [UPDATED 2020]

When looking at internet security and antivirus software, you may be overwhelmed at all the options out there.

After all, there are a lot to investigate, and how can you be sure you’re using the best one for your computer, laptop, iPad, Tablet, or other mobile device?

Here’s one you’ve at least heard of though: Norton.

Norton has been around since 1991 when it was developed by Symantec Corporation. Customers have been using Norton products for many years—after all, Norton is notorious for using signatures and heuristics to find viruses, but what else does it offer?

Here’s our researched and comprehensive Norton Antivirus Review:

Is Norton Security Suite any Good?

The simple answer is yes—Norton is worth checking out. Here’s why: Norton clearly excels in its features and performance. It offers plans for both PC and mobile users, supporting Android and iOS devices; that alone is more than some of its competitors offer.

Unfortunately, Norton does not offer a free version, which is a downside. The packages are a little pricey, but you can get some services discounted if you go with bundle deals. Therefore, Norton is good for small businesses and corporate users. It’s also good for personal use as well.

Norton Features

Here’s what Norton has to offer:

Real-time antivirus
Manual virus scanning
USB virus scan
Registry Startup Scan
Auto virus scanning
Scheduled scan
Personal firewall
Parental control
VPN service
Device Tune-up
Safe Browser
Anti-Spyware
Anti-Worm
Anti-Trojan
Anti-Rootkit
Anti-Phishing
Anti-Spam
Email Protection
Live Support including phone and email
Compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

Pretty impressive list, yes? Let’s dig a little deeper into these features.

Reliability and Security

Norton scored high in the protection test conducted by AV-comparatives by detecting and blocking about 99.3% of threats. In the AV test Lab test, Norton scored the maximum of 18 points (6 for protection, 6 for performance, and 6 for usability).

What does this mean? It means that if you were to click on a website that was linked to malware, Norton would block the access. If you tried to download an infected file, Norton would stop the download.

Then, Norton would move any viruses to the quarantine folder so they could not harm the computer. Sometimes. We need to mention that some of the tests showed that Norton would warn the user of an infected virus, but it would not always block them. This means that users need to make sure that every threat is moved to the quarantine folder.

Malware Protection

Similar to other antiviruses, Norton features three layers of protection, including signature matching. This is when the software is matched to the databases of known malware packages. Heuristic analysis then controls the behavior of the software and checks the code of new programs to detect unknown malware before it affects your device.

Norton releases new signature updates several times a day. If anything is threatening, Norton uses browser extensions for Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. The extension checks destination headers for web packets for connection with any known malware. We would say this is pretty serious malware protection.

Ransomware Protection

Ransomware protection is also available on every Norton antivirus version. This should give you a sigh of relief as you can shop online as much as you want without being afraid of being affected. In addition, the files you already have on your computer are protected against encryption.

Phishing Detection

Norton features anti-phishing protection in all of its packages. However, it is the internet user’s job to stay away from dangerous emails and websites. If in doubt, don’t click on them! Norton software detects anything suspicious before it affects a user’s computer.

Norton Performance

We have to be honest—Norton has been notorious, at least in the past, for slowing down your computer during malware scans. The company has claimed they have resolved this issue, so we shall see.

During a test scan, Norton’s performance typically drops by 30%, which isn’t great, but not awful either. As for Norton’s speed of scanning, you can expect it to take an hour to scan a hard drive, but a quick scan takes a little over three minutes.

Scanning Options

Norton Antivirus offers the following online virus scan options:

Local files
Hard drive
Scanning and repair of compressed files
Rootkits and stealth items scan
Network scanning
Heuristic Protection
Cookies scan

How User-Friendly is Norton?

Norton’s users love the company. We know this because of the plethora of positive reviews we read. They claim that Norton is user friendly, and there were very few problems that were mentioned.

The installation process is easy. You download a 1Mb patch that transitions into a 175 Mb installation, type in your activation code, and bam, you’re done.

Launching a quick scan is simple—with just one click and seven minutes. If everything checks out, the front page turns green. Otherwise, you will see a big red X mark.

The interface is Norton is intuitive and bright-colored. All the links you will need are easy to see and use. The four major security options are:

Security
Backup
Performance
Identity

The “More Norton” button shows you any additional options you need to see.

Available Norton Packages

Norton has recently updated its product and offers its users four packages. All Norton packages feature a refund promise if Norton fails to protect your device.

Here are the four packages in detail:

Norton Antivirus Plus

Norton Antivirus Plus is a basic package that will protect one PC or Mac from malware and ransomware. Here’s what else is included in this package:

Malware protection
Ransomware protection
Password manager
Smart firewall
Anti-phishing tools
2 GB safe cloud storage

This package is $39.99 a year for one device.

Norton 360 Standard

Norton 360 Standard is a step up from the basic antivirus plan. Like the basic plan, this package offers protection for one device and includes all the features offered in the basic plan. Here is what else is included in this package:

Norton Antivirus+ package
VPN tool
Webcam protection
Dark web monitoring
10 GB safe cloud storage
Compatible with PC, Mac, Android, iOS

The Norton 360 Standard package costs $49.99 a year.

Norton 360 Deluxe

The Norton 360 Deluxe includes everything that the Standard package includes, plus some. It will cover 5 devices. Here’s the additional features in this package:

Parental control
Special web portal
50GB safe cloud storage
5 devices

The Norton 360 Deluxe costs $59.99 a year.

Norton 360 with LifeLock Select

Finally, the largest package, Norton 360 with LifeLock Select, offers all that the deluxe package plus identity theft programs.

5 devices
Parental control
identity theft protection
special web portal
50GB safe cloud storage

This package costs $99.99 a year.

All the prices listed above are for new users. It is important to point out that the renewal costs around 55% more, unfortunately.

On the flip side, Norton offers a free 30-day trial, so you can try before you commit.

Customer Support

A big perk of Norton is its customer support. There is lots of information regarding their services in the FAQ, forums, videos, and blog posts. If you can’t find what you are looking for or if you don’t feel like looking through the resources, you can contact Norton customer support. They are available 24/7 via phone, chat, or email. Customers say that their replies are quick and that the service is excellent.

Pros and Cons

We can’t do a proper review without a list of pros and cons. Overall, we found that Norton isn’t the cheapest software option, and we don’t like that that the prices go up after the first year. However, the quality of the product is evident. Norton outperforms most other antiviruses in all areas.

Here’s what we like:

Pros

Reliable file storage and backup options
24/7 customer support
Multi-platform support
Easy to use and intuitive dashboard
Norton power eraser tool
Free 30-day trial

Cons

More expensive than other plans
Scanning may slow down computer
No safe browser options

Final Thoughts

Let’s go back to our original question: Is Norton Security Suite any good? We stand by our answer: Yes!

We can’t deny the superior malware protection that Norton offers plus all the extra security features. Yes, it’s a bit pricey, and there are a few things that we wish it offered, safe browsing options being one, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons for Norton.

To top off the deal, Norton stands by their products. If something doesn’t work, you get your money back.