Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition provides unrivalled online security for small businesses, advanced users

Symantec, the world leader in Internet security, today announced Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition, the first and most complete online security and privacy suite for small businesses and advanced users.

Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition provides business professionals comprehensive protection against a wide range of serious Internet risks including viruses, hackers, privacy breaches and online productivity distractions. Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition is the first Symantec consumer product to include Norton Intrusion Detection, enterprise-strength protection against both external and internal security breaches.

"The Internet security concerns that small businesses face are no longer limited to threats from viruses and worms," said Patrick Evans, regional manager for Africa at Symantec. "Attacks from hackers, the loss of confidential information, and non-work-related Web surfing also lead to downtime and can impact profitability. By using the Professional Edition of Norton Internet Security 2002, small businesses and advanced users can significantly improve their resistance to these problems and proactively protect against a widening range of blended threats."

Unlike other Internet security suites, Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition is not a bundle; all suite components are designed to work together efficiently, eliminating the overlapping functionality, poor performance, and excessive memory requirements of bundled solutions. Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition features the solid firewall technology of Norton Personal Firewall 2002 and trusted virus protection through Norton AntiVirus 2002 for the Windows platform and Symantec AntiVirus 2002 for Palm OS.

Unique to the Professional Edition of Norton Internet Security 2002 is Norton Intrusion Detection, which automatically intercepts suspicious connections and malicious attacks such as Code Red. Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition also includes User Access Manager, an easy-to-use supervisor feature that simplifies the configuration of security settings in a small-network environment and Norton Productivity Control, to manage Internet usage. Additionally, the new Network Notification feature informs users when their computer has joined a wireless or other network.

Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition addresses the growing need to keep sensitive business information safe by preventing hackers from accessing it from the outside as well as by preventing it from being sent over unsecured Web sites or links. Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition controls Internet connections to and from a user's computer, blocks attempted intrusions, and notifies the user. It eliminates both external and internal security breaches, including preventing most internal applications such as spyware or Trojan horses from making unauthorised connections to the Internet.

The new Norton Intrusion Detection feature of Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition complements the suite's firewall technology, providing an additional layer of security while minimising interruptions. This system, based on Symantec's enterprise-level intrusion detection technology, examines the content of Internet traffic to intelligently intercept attacks such as those caused by the Nimda and Code Red worms and then triggers an appropriate action. Users, in turn, are prompted only for attacks that represent a real danger to their systems, significantly reducing interruptions. In addition, because Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition focuses on Windows-based Internet security threats, it reduces the false alarms that occur when using products that target several operating systems.

Designed to work in a small-network environment, Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition enables administrators to quickly configure firewall and productivity control settings for client systems from one location. These configurations can then be easily imported to other computers that are running Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition.

Another way that the Professional Edition of Norton Internet Security 2002 simplifies administration is by automatically detecting systems on a workgroup network for easy addition to the "Trusted Zone". In addition, the suite integrates seamlessly with Windows XP accounts, automatically switching to the appropriate Internet access profile when a user logs in.

Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition enables small business professionals to get the most out of the time they spend on the Internet by blocking distracting Web sites and preventing access to specified newsgroups. Access rules can be easily set up for individuals and workgroups. Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition further protects productivity by enabling users to remove online banner advertising and most pop-up windows in order to accelerate download speeds.

Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition automatically keeps PCs safe from viruses and worms without disrupting work. In addition, the inclusion of Symantec AntiVirus 2002 for Palm OS extends virus protection to handheld devices by running on-demand scans that detect and remove viruses from Palm-compatible devices, protecting data even between synchronidations. Virus definitions are kept up-to-date automatically using HotSync, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual efforts.

Symantec Security Response experts update Norton Internet Security 2002 Professional Edition continuously to deal with new viruses and other Internet threats. The automatic LiveUpdate feature in the software checks for and installs all new virus definitions, firewall rules, Internet application profiles, and intrusion detection signatures for one year free of charge.

With Network Notification, small business and advanced users always know when their system makes a connection to a new network. Laptop users who tap into wireless networks in airports, hotels and other public places can now be alerted when their computer attaches to a new network. With the number of wireless networks expanding every day, mobile professionals may not otherwise know that their system has joined a network, making them potentially vulnerable to hacking attempts.