TORONTO - March 31, 1999 -- Symantec Corporation (Nasdaq: SYMC) announced today that companies can protect themselves against the W97M.Melissa macro virus with Norton AntiVirus products for Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes for 30 days at no charge.

Symantec discovered W97M.Melissa on Friday, March 26 and provided Norton AntiVirus and Norton SystemWorks customers with detection and repair capabilities within an hour of the virus being submitted to the Symantec AntiVirus Research Centre in Santa Monica, CA.

W97M.Melissa is one of the fastest-spreading and most insidious viruses ever detected. Norton AntiVirus and Norton SystemWorks customers with up-to-date definitions are now protected. However, as the virus utilises Microsoft Outlook to spread, companies with Microsoft Exchange servers are particularly at risk of infection.

Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange works in real time to scan, detect, and repair viruses found in native Microsoft Exchange environments without inhibiting or degrading server performance or stability. The product also includes Symantec's Bloodhound technology, which is able to detect and repair unknown viruses automatically. Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange provides complete administrative functions that allow users to remotely manage and control their Exchange anti-virus environment from anywhere.

Norton AntiVirus for Lotus Notes also includes Bloodhound technology and works in real time to scan, detect, and repair viruses found in Notes databases and mail file attachments, including pervasive macro viruses in Word and Excel documents.

In addition to providing real-time protection for file attachments, Norton AntiVirus for Lotus Notes scans, detects, and repairs viruses in OLE objects and in FTP downloads. A quarantine database holds notes or mail messages whose attachments cannot be repaired or contain suspect components, ensuring administrators and users that infectious documents are isolated and, therefore, cannot spread to other files. Eighty percent of all infections are from Macro viruses-the major infector in a Notes environment.

"Effective virus protection must be delivered at every level within an organisation from email gateway through to the desktop," said Enrique Salem, vice president of Symantec's Security and Assistance Business Unit. "Symantec's multi-tier strategy provides protection at every possible point of infection. Companies worldwide can take advantage of this offer to act quickly to get Norton AntiVirus and make sure they have the best anti-virus protection possible against the Melissa virus."

Norton AntiVirus products for Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes can be downloaded from a secure website or delivered overnight to most locations. For more information, please contact 1 (800) 745 6054.

About Symantec in Canada:
With 250 employees, Symantec's Canadian operations are headquartered in Toronto with offices in Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. For information on Symantec products or current promotions, contact the Canadian office at (416) 441-3676 or access Symantec's Canadian Web Site. Symantec is an active member of the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft (CAAST).

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.

Founded in 1982, the company's global operations span North America, Europe, Japan and several fast growing markets throughout Asia Pacific and Latin America. Traded on Nasdaq under the symbol SYMC, Symantec Corporation is based in Cupertino, Calif., and employs more than 2,000 people. Information on the company and its products can be obtained by calling (800) 441-7234 toll free, (541) 334-6054 or accessed on the World Wide Web.

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