Norton Anti-Virus 2003

[Bill & Debbie]

I just purchased a new computer and it came with Norton Anti-Virus 2003. In
the past I used McAfee and had no problems. I tried to read about this
version of Norton but they only show Norton Anti-Virus 2004. Is Norton
Anti-Virus 2003 a good product? Does it provide the same protection as
2004? Should I pay to have 2003 updated to 2004?

My security concerns are only for a single computer used at home with a DSL
connection.

Thanks in advance for opinions and recommendations.
Bill

 

[optikl]

I just purchased a new computer and it came with Norton Anti-Virus 2003. In
the past I used McAfee and had no problems. I tried to read about this
version of Norton but they only show Norton Anti-Virus 2004. Is Norton
Anti-Virus 2003 a good product? Does it provide the same protection as
2004? Should I pay to have 2003 updated to 2004?
http://www.symantec.com/nav/nav_9xnt/features.html


My security concerns are only for a single computer used at home with a DSL
connection.

Thanks in advance for opinions and recommendations.
Bill

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Quoth the raven named Bill & Debbie:

My security concerns are only for a single computer used at home
with a DSL connection.

Do you have a firewall?

Free firewalls:
Kerio firewall: http://www.kerio.com/kpf_home.html
ZoneAlarm firewall: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp

 

[Jeffrey A. Setaro]

I just purchased a new computer and it came with Norton Anti-Virus 2003. In
the past I used McAfee and had no problems. I tried to read about this
version of Norton but they only show Norton Anti-Virus 2004. Is Norton
Anti-Virus 2003 a good product? Does it provide the same protection as
2004?

No anti-virus software provides "protection"... Anti-virus software is
by its very nature reactionary and can only "protect" against what it
already knows. Relying on anti-virus software to protect you from
viruses is a little like hiring Willie Sutton to guard a bank. . . it
looks good on the surface but in reality all it does is offer a false
sense of security.

That's not to say you shouldn't use anti-virus software. Anti-virus
software should be a part of your overall defense strategy, but it
should not be a replacement for the zealous practice of Safe Hex.

You really should take a few minutes to read the following pages:
<http://www.claymania.com/prevent.html> &

Should I pay to have 2003 updated to 2004?

Probably... In most cases the versions of NAV bundled with new
computers include updates for only 90 days so you'll end up having to
pay for addition updates anyway.

My security concerns are only for a single computer used at home with a DSL
connection.

Do you have a firewall? You really should invest in a broadband
router/firewall appliance to help guard against unauthorized access to
your computer.

Here's a list of devices that are reasonably priced and easy to
configure.

D-Link Express EtherNetwork Router DI-604
Linksys EtherFast Router BEFSX41
Netgear ProSafe Router FR114P
SMC Barricade Plus Router SMC7004VBR
ZyXel ZyWall 2

Thanks in advance for opinions and recommendations.

Your welcome. HTH.

Cheers-

Jeff Setaro
jasetaro@SPAM_ME_NOT_mags.net
http://people.mags.net/jasetaro/
PGP Key IDs DH/DSS: 0x5D41429D RSA: 0x599D2A99 New RSA: 0xA19EBD34

 

[Dave Cohen]

I've found the nav 2003 that came with the machine trouble free and renewed
at 3 months. I would recommend using mailwasher or similar as well as a
firewall (I use winxp version). My problem these days is a mass of spam with
an occasional file that is obviously a virus based on file size. I mark all
of these for deletion on the server.
Dave Cohen