Almost all the security vendors this year have recognized the changing threat landscape and have rethought traditional protection. Norton AntiVirus 2009 is available as a full-function download, free for 15 days. We especially like the Insight feature, which identifies "trusted" files and applications and doesn't waste time rescanning and rescanning them unless there's been a change. No other product does this. The redesigned logic behind Norton Internet Security clearly shows in CNET performance testing: it is faster and considerably lighter than last year's version, and even some standalone 2009 antivirus applications. And Norton continues to win awards in third-party effectiveness testing.
Lagging behind, though, is Symantec's technical support. While Norton users now have free telephone support, Symantec still doesn't provide enough of a knowledgebase, or even an adequate user's manual. Once again, this year it emphasizes its premium services a bit too much. That said, Norton Internet Security 2009 presents a remarkable transformation of a product and is worth a second look