Symantec Sees Trend Toward Sophisticated, Fast-Spreading Email and Web-Based Internet Security Threats

Symantec's Latest Gateway Products Protect Inside Networks From Outside Threats

CUPERTINO, Calif. - Sept. 21, 2001 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), a world leader in Internet security, alerts users to the growing need for a complete computer security solution at the gateway - the portal through which e-mail and web communications travel. Widespread malicious assaults such as CodeRed, CodeBlue and now, the W32.Nimda.A@mm worm indicate that customers are being infected by malicious viruses and worms not only through e-mail usage, but also through everyday Web surfing.

"Corporate networks are being compromised more and more frequently as a result of threats encountered during Web surfing. Hypothetically, if users visit even one infected Web site, their systems can become infected and can then propagate the virus to unsuspecting friends and co-workers within minutes," said Rob Clyde, vice president and chief technology officer, Symantec Corporation. "To secure corporate networks and consumer systems, users should implement a scalable security solution to protect FTP and HTTP protocol traffic at the gateway."

While past viruses such as "I Love You" and "Melissa" primarily attacked mail servers, W32.Nimda.A@mm propagates through both e-mail and Web surfing activities as well as through network shares. A scalable, multi-protocol gateway solution for mail and Web traffic is able to stop threats like W32.Nimda.A@mm before they invade the network. Symantec's Norton AntiVirus for Gateways, for example, stops the propagation of W32.Nimda.A@mm by securing SMTP traffic and Symantec Web Security scans and secures all FTP and HTTP traffic to and from an organization's network.

Symantec Web Security/NAV for Gateways
Symantec Web Security provides maximum protection against known and unknown virus threats and includes comprehensive content filtering options to increase employee productivity, reduce exposure to corporate liability and preserve valuable bandwidth. Symantec's Norton AntiVirus for Gateways provides unsurpassed protection against virus threats that propagate via e-mail. Symantec's Norton AntiVirus for Gateways also incorporates proactive anti-virus filtering features such as the ability to block e-mails based on subject line, attachment type and message size. Additional detailed information about these solutions, are available at Symantec's enterprise Web site at http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com.

Symantec Enterprise Security
Symantec Enterprise Security provides any size organization with the technology, global response and services necessary to manage its information security. Symantec's comprehensive solution offers best-of-breed products to protect gateways, servers, and clients with virus protection, firewall security, intrusion detection and vulnerability management. Customers benefit from Symantec's global network of researchers that provide customers with around-the-clock, immediate response to any new security-related attacks. Symantec Enterprise Security customers are also supported by one of the largest professional security organizations in the world, offering security consulting, security education and managed security services. For more information, please visit Symantec's enterprise Web site at http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com/

About Symantec
Symantec, a world leader in Internet security technology, provides a broad range of content and network security solutions to individuals, enterprises and service providers. The company is a leading provider of virus protection, firewall and virtual private network, vulnerability management, intrusion detection, Internet content and email filtering, remote management technologies and security services to enterprises and service providers around the world. Symantec's Norton brand of consumer security products is a leader in worldwide retail sales and industry awards. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has worldwide operations in 37 countries. For more information, please visit www.symantec.com.

Symantec's Canadian operations are headquartered in Toronto with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. For more information on Symantec products or current promotions, contact the Canadian office at (416) 441-3676 or access Symantec's Canadian Web site at www.symantec.ca. Symantec is an active member of the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft (CAAST).

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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied by this press release. Such risk factors include, among others: the risks that current global adverse economic conditions and reduced spending will continue or worsen; currency exchange fluctuations will adversely affect our results; the continuing integration of the Symantec and AXENT will not be successful; the difficulty of developing and marketing products that compete effectively with others and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Symantec's business generally. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is contained in the Risk Factors sections of the Company's previously filed Form 10-K for the year ending March 30, 2001.