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News Release Symantec's Norton Internet Security 2000 Is First Comprehensive Personal Internet Security Product To Make Windows Magazine Winlist Firewall, Anti-Virus and URL filtering Capabilities Protect Consumers from All Levels of Internet Threats CUPERTINO, Calif. - Feb. 28, 2000 -- Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced that Norton Internet Security 2000 has been named to Windows Magazine's esteemed WinList of recommended products. In addition to featuring parental control for filtering unwanted web content and anti-virus for blocking malicious code attacks including hacking software such as BackOrifice, Norton Internet Security 2000 includes powerful personal firewall technology for stopping hacking attacks. This technology helps guard against malicious hackers such as those who temporarily crippled several of the world's most popular Web sites last week by using others' computers to instigate Distributed Denial of Service attacks. In these attacks, hackers took control of countless PCs without their owners' knowledge, and then instructed these compromised systems--which hackers refer to as "drones"--to launch Denial of Service attacks against selected systems. In addition to becoming unwitting contributors to the mayhem, the compromised systems also experienced a dramatic reduction in network bandwidth. "The recent onslaught of hacker attacks on some of the world's largest and most sophisticated Web sites has brought the issue of Internet security to the forefront of an anxious international community," said Steve Cullen, senior vice president of Symantec's consumer products division. "Even as Internet security experts gather at the White House to discuss responses to these increasing attacks, consumers can turn to Norton Internet Security 2000 to prevent their systems from becoming unknowing participants. We consider Windows Magazine's attention to this subject through its review of security utilities timely and farsighted, and we are very pleased that its expert editors consider Norton Internet Security 2000 the best choice for protection." Norton Internet Security 2000 provides a formidable defense against Distributed Denial of Service attacks and other Internet security risks. "Norton Internet Security 2000 combines a well-written personal firewall with a local program watchdog and an excellent anti-virus program, all working together to provide a good bag of protective tricks," wrote Windows Magazine editors in the February edition of the online magazine. "The program works simply and effectively, and is unobtrusive to use and live with, earning a spot of the WinList." Editors tested the effectiveness of Norton Internet Security 2000 in monitoring all inbound and outbound network communications, only permitting safe access and refusing unsafe access. Editor Warren Ernst concluded, "In our tests, [Norton Internet Security 2000] did just that. I was unable to gain access to shared folders or printers, or even learn their names, using a variety of well-known and widely available hacking tools." Ernst also singled out its ability to suppress banner ads, block cookies, prevent browsing histories from being revealed, and identify what data is typed into web page forms (such as social security numbers or addresses) and then allow or disallow that data from going out. According to editors, parents can use Norton Internet Security 2000 to block Web content based on categories and prevent programs such as ICQ or NetMeeting from functioning based on who logs in. In addition, they added, with Norton AntiVirus built into Norton Internet Security 2000, home PC users can be assured that they have the most effective protection against Internet-borne viruses and other malicious code.
About Symantec NOTE TO EDITORS: : If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please view the Symantec Press Center at http://www.symantec.com/PressCenter/ on Symantec's Web site. All prices noted are in US dollars and are valid only in the United States. Symantec, the Symantec logo, VERITAS, and the VERITAS logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT: This press release contains forward-looking statements. There are certain important factors that could cause Symantec's future development efforts to differ materially from those anticipated by some of the statements made above. Among these are the anticipation of the growth of certain market segments, the positioning of Symantec's products in those segments, the competitive environment in the software industry, dependence on other products, changes to operating systems and product strategy by vendors of operating systems, and the importance of new Symantec products. Additional information concerning those and other factors is contained in the "Risk Factors" section of the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 2, 1999 and all quarterly reports filed subsequent to such date.
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