Symantec First to Deliver Repair for PowerPoint Viruses, Including O97M.Tristate Cross-Infecting Microsoft Office Macro Virus

Complete Virus Definition Set Now Available for Norton AntiVirus Users via LiveUpdate

Cupertino, Calif. May 20, 1999 - Symantec Corporation (Nasdaq: SYMC), the world leader in utility software for business and personal computing, today announced a complete virus definition set is now available to detect and repair PowerPoint viruses as well as the prolific O97M.Tristate macro virus, which cross-infects Microsoft Office applications. The new virus definitions can be downloaded for all Symantec anti-virus products via LiveUpdate or from the Symantec AntiVirus Research Center (SARC) download page on the Symantec web site (www.symantec.com). While other anti-virus vendors provide detection-only capabilities, Symantec is first to provide repair of the viruses on all platforms.

"As the number of PowerPoint and cross-infecting viruses increases, it is critical that computer users have a quick and reliable method of protecting their valuable data and systems from the potentially destructive effects of this code," said Enrique Salem, vice president of Symantec's Security and Assistance Business Unit. "To that end, Symantec is pleased to be the first software vendor to offer a virus definition set that provides both detection and repair."

Creating a macro virus that can cross-infect different Microsoft Office 97 applications is becoming more common among virus writers. The O97M.Tristate virus is evidence that these viruses are no longer limited to research labs, but are beginning to move into general circulation. Since May 7, Symantec has received 132 submissions of the O97M.Tristate macro virus, alias O97M.Triplicate, via Norton AntiVirus' Scan and Deliver mechanism, making the cross-platform virus the eighth most common virus submitted to SARC. The macro virus, found in the wild, infects Microsoft Word 97 documents, Microsoft Excel 97 spreadsheets, and Microsoft PowerPoint 97 presentations. For more information about the O97M.Tristate virus, refer to the Symantec Virus Encyclopedia at www.symantec.com/avcenter.

Norton AntiVirus users can protect their systems against the potential spread of O97M.Tristate and other PowerPoint or cross-infecting viruses by using LiveUpdate to download the latest set of virus definitions from the Symantec web site. In addition to virus definitions, the LiveUpdate feature also re-programs Symantec's anti-virus software using the company's Norton AntiVirus Extension (NAVEX) technology. This modular virus-scanning engine lets SARC engineers quickly update and seamlessly update the scanning engine during normal virus definition updates. It's the only solution of its kind available to users of anti-virus software today.

About Symantec
Symantec is the world leader in utility software for business and personal computing. Symantec products and solutions help make users productive and keep their computers safe and reliable anywhere and anytime. Symantec offers a broad range of solutions and is acclaimed as a leader in both customer satisfaction and product brand recognition. Symantec is traded on Nasdaq under the symbol SYMC. More information on the company and its products can be obtained at www.symantec.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, view the Symantec Press Center at www.symantec.com/PressCenter/ on Symantec's Website.

Brands and products referenced herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. All prices noted are in US dollars and are valid only in the United States.