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Norton AntiVirus (NAV) is a product of Symantec Corporation and is one of the most widely used antivirus programs. Norton AntiVirus is sold as a standalone product and is also included as part of Norton SystemWorks. more...

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In addition, there is also a standalone Corporate Edition version, which is aimed to a centrally managed corporate environment. It is called Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition, and has different features not present in the traditional retail version of the software. Norton detects a total of 73,052 viruses as of December 27, 2006.

History

Since its release in 1990, over 100 million people around the world have used it. Early versions of Norton AntiVirus were integrated and took much from Central Point Anti-Virus (CPAV), which was acquired by Symantec in 1994. CPAV was also integrated into the Microsoft Anti-Virus utility.

Virus definitions

Symantec's LiveUpdate provides virus definition updates, which enable Norton AntiVirus to compete with other Antivirus software. In order to receive updates, a valid subscription is required; an initial subscription good for one year (or 90 days for OEM copies) is included with the purchase. When a user's subscription expires, the user can still receive program updates (patches) for free but will not be able to download virus definitions updates without renewing his or her subscription or purchasing a new version of the Symantec product with a year of subscription included.

The Corporate Edition has a client/server strategy to update virus definitions. Each of the workstations will not have LiveUpdate installed, but will be linked to a central Server. The Server will be the one that will actually update itself with LiveUpdate, and distribute such updates to the client/managed workstations. This is to reduce redundant updates over the organizational network (such as 100 PC's updating the same definitions).

Competition

Norton AntiVirus also attempts to remove spyware and adware, both of which are forms of malware that are not computer viruses. It competed in this capacity with the freeware Spybot - Search & Destroy (among others), although the company seems to have expressed an interest in leaving the anti-spyware/adware market.

In 2006, Symantec announced the following:

"There is no product from the Symantec or Norton line that competes with Spybot ."

Product activation

Beginning with Norton AntiVirus 2004, Norton AntiVirus includes an anti-copying feature called "Product Activation," which is similar to the activation process in Windows XP and Office XP. The activation process for Norton AntiVirus 2004, 2005, and 2006 can be accomplished through two methods: over the Internet or by phone. The latter, however, leaves the process vulnerable to cracking - key generator programs (which product activation was designed to defeat) simply generate a bogus 'activation code' of the type given to licensed users over the phone.

Read more at Wikipedia.org