Protect your devices with Norton: Get 58% off your first year now
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The internet can be a tricky place to navigate. From scammers to hackers, it is crucial to protect your sensitive material from being shared with the wrong people. If you want to keep yourself and your data protected from unwanted cyber threats, Norton is one of the most reputable names in the business. Offering advanced security features, password management and trusted customer support, Norton has much more than just antivirus software. Right now, you can save up to 58% on your first year of protection. Check out the offers below and find the protection that best fits your needs.
Norton AntiVirus Plus
The Norton AntiVirus Plus package is the basic offer from Norton and includes the following:
1 PC, Mac, tablet or phone
Real-time threat protection against viruses, malware, spyware, and ransomware
NEW! Genie Scam Protection
2GB cloud backup to protect important files from ransomware
Password manager to store and manage your passwords securely
24/7 customer support for any technical assistance
Pricing: An annual subscription is $29.99, 50% off the usual $59.99 price.
Norton 360 Standard
The Norton 360 Standard package includes all features of Norton AntiVirus Plus and the following:
3 PCs, Macs, tablets or phones
Secure VPN for online privacy and anonymity
Dark Web Monitoring to alert you if your personal information is found on the dark web
Pricing: An annual subscription is $39.99, 57% off the usual $94.99 price.
Norton 360 Deluxe
The Norton 360 Deluxe package includes all the features of Norton 360 Standard plus the following:
5 PCs, Macs, tablets or phones
Parental control to manage your kids' online activities
Privacy control to keep your personal data and online history even more secure
Pricing: An annual subscription is $49.99, 58% off the usual $119.99 price.
📲 More:Order your new Samsung Galaxy S25 device and get up to $1,200 in savings
Norton 360 with LifeLock Select Plus
The Norton 360 with LifeLock Select Plus option includes all the features of Norton 360 Deluxe plus the following:
10 PCs, Macs, tablets or phones
LifeLock identity theft protection
Stolen Wallet Protection
Social Security and Credit Alerts
Credit Monitoring Coverage: One bureau
Up to $25,000 in Stolen Funds Reimbursement
Pricing: An annual subscription is $99.99, 47% off the usual $189.99 price.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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CNET
6 days ago
- CNET
Norton Antivirus Review 2025: Solid Value for Fast, Effective Protection
CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 8.6 / 10 SCORE Norton Antivirus Buy at Norton Pros Resource-light Fast scans Performance optimization tools Superior VPN Cons No identity theft insurance No online account management/data visualization tools AI-heavy customer support Mediocre phone support Norton Antivirus 8.6/10 CNET Score Buy at Norton Founded in 1982, Norton is one of the oldest digital security companies on the planet, and it's long been on our list of the best antivirus tools. But has it earned that longevity? I spent one week analyzing Norton's offerings and testing its 360 Deluxe package to find out. Overall, I found its tools to be fast, effective and intuitive. I was also impressed with Norton's comprehensive privacy policies and security protocols. However, Norton doesn't offer some of the tools I enjoyed most when working with other security suites, like a digital footprint visualization or an online account manager. Norton antivirus features Norton's core antivirus software includes all of the features you'd expect from a premium antivirus tool, including real-time protection, manual scans, automated scans and scan scheduling. Every Norton plan also includes the Genie Scam Detector, an AI tool that scans text messages and web activity for signs of cybercrime, and a password manager. You'll also get 2GB of cloud backups, something not available through other antivirus companies I've researched. Norton also offers security packages with features like a VPN, dark web monitoring, privacy management and parental controls. The most advanced plans provide financial security protocols like identity theft protection, stolen wallet protection and credit monitoring. However, you won't get the identity theft insurance that competitors like Bitdefender and McAfee provide, making Norton an insufficient choice for people with significant assets. For the average person, however, Norton's cloud backups are more useful than high-level identity theft insurance. Overall features score Norton doesn't have an equivalent to McAfee's online account manager or Bitdefender's digital footprint visualization. This means it will only alert you to dark web activity, not potential risks from sites that are legitimate but not properly secured. These features are incredibly useful for people who've been online for a while and haven't always paid attention to their digital security. Norton's lack of a similar tool means I can only give it a 9 of 10 features ranking. Norton antivirus plans and pricing Norton has four cybersecurity plans: Plan Identity protection features Cloud backup space Who it's best for Price Norton Antivirus Plus Scam protection; password manager 2GB Average users with only one device to protect $30 for the first year; $60 per year after Norton 360 Standard VPN; dark web monitoring 2GB Average users with up to three devices to protect and/or significant concerns about dark web data breaches $40 for the first year; $95 per year after Norton 360 Deluxe Privacy monitor; parental controls 50GB Parents; users with four or five devices to protect; users with significant online privacy concerns $50 for the first year; $120 per year after Norton 360 with LifeLock Select Plus LifeLock Identity Theft Protection; stolen wallet protection; credit monitoring; credit alerts; $25,000 in stolen funds reimbursement 250GB Users concerned about identity theft; users with significant amounts of data to back up $100 for the first year; $190 per year after Norton doesn't offer family plans for its main antivirus. However, you can access family plans for LifeLock if you want to protect multiple members of your family from identity theft. Norton antivirus usability I set up an account with the Norton 360 Deluxe plan and tested Norton's usability in three key areas: account navigation, installation/setup for the primary antivirus and setup for additional tools like the VPN. Most of Norton's tools were fast to set up and easy to work with, even for folks who aren't technically inclined. Account navigation Norton's account dashboard is easy to navigate, with a block near the top offering to walk you through feature setup the first time you log in. You'll also see boxes with clear links to areas for managing the devices connected to your Norton account, Genie scam protection, dark web monitoring and other Norton tools. The customer service and community forum links are similarly noticeable, though a bit further down the page. Screenshot by Dianna Gunn/CNET The one thing I didn't see immediately was a link to billing management. Instead, I found access to the billing area in the My Account drop-down menu. Many tech companies, including other antivirus tools like McAfee, store their billing links in similar drop-down menus. However, it's not as straightforward as Bitdefender, which includes a prominent billing link in the sidebar of its account dashboard. Installation and setup Norton's installer downloaded and unpacked the core antivirus in around two minutes, then let me select the features I wanted to enable. Having these options at the outset gives you high-level control over how the antivirus operates and serves as an excellent reminder of everything Norton can do. Screenshot by Dianna Gunn/CNET Once installed, Norton directed me to run a Smart Scan. This made it easy to check my device's security and reminded me of Bitdefender's instruction to run a quick scan on installation. Of the antivirus tools I've tested, McAfee is the only one without a similar prompt after the initial setup. After the scan, Norton showed me its automated scan schedule and provided a link to change the scheduled time, something I had to hunt for in both Bitdefender and McAfee. This window also featured links for adding more devices and opening the password manager, simplifying the next steps in the process of securing my digital presence. I appreciated the level of guidance here, as it makes cybersecurity simple for people who aren't technically inclined. From there, Norton opened the main antivirus dashboard. Like the online account dashboard, this area is remarkably simple to navigate, with a large Run Smart Scan button in the center and a Control Panel for accessing other Norton tools on the right. The Control Panel can be switched out for an Alerts list, displaying notifications about completed scans and any security issues Norton finds. Screenshot by Dianna Gunn/CNET You can also access Norton's full range of additional tools through the left sidebar. These include a wide range of antivirus scans (found in Security), a software updater (in Performance), the VPN (in Privacy)and dark web monitoring (in Identity). I appreciated the breadth of these tools, especially the number of scan types and the software updater -- features I didn't encounter in Bitdefender and McAfee. Additional tools Norton's cloud backup is also easy to set up. You can connect it to your device during the antivirus installation and select the folders you want it to back up, as well as the frequency of backups. Norton will automatically run backups on your selected schedule until it runs out of space. You can also manually back up files at any time from the Security window of the antivirus. You can set up the VPN during the antivirus installation process or enable it later through the Privacy window of the antivirus. Once activated, the VPN makes it easy to switch locations through both a search and a drop-down menu. Once I had the core program set up, I headed to the Norton account dashboard to test its other tools. I started with dark web monitoring, which was very simple to set up. All you need to do is give it the information you want tracked -- like your email address, phone number and mailing address -- and permission to search for that information. Norton will then continuously scan the dark web, alerting you to breaches as it finds them. Screenshot by Dianna Gunn/CNET You can also access parental controls through the website. I didn't test these since I don't have kids or devices I want to restrict, but the instructions were clear. Screenshot by Dianna Gunn/CNET Norton's other tools are run through either Norton's private browser -- a highly secure browser that automatically flags suspicious sites -- or browser extensions. Most of these, such as Norton Safe Search (which marks search listings for potentially harmful websites), don't require much configuration beyond the initial installation. Setting up the password manager is slightly more involved, as you'll need to create a master password and download a recovery key. You also must manually input your existing passwords or, if you're already using a password manager, go to the Settings page to access Norton's password import tool. This is pretty standard for password managers, though. The Genie Scam Protector is automatically enabled on Norton's private browser, which you can install on your computer during the antivirus installation process. You can also enable Genie scam protection on your phone through the Norton mobile app. Once set up, Genie will automatically scan websites you visit and texts you receive for signs of cybercrime. You can also scan specific emails, websites and other digital content with the Ask Genie feature to determine if something's a scam. Overall usability score Norton provides excellent guidance during the installation and setup processes for its online tools, plus intuitive dashboards for both the antivirus and your online account. The only things that could have improved my experience would be a clearer link to the billing area and a pop-up asking me to import passwords the first time I logged into the password manager. This results in Norton earning a 9 of 10 usability ranking. Norton antivirus performance I spent two full days running Norton while I performed common tasks like browsing the internet and editing images. I also tested Norton's dark web monitoring to see how quickly and effectively it found my data, then installed Norton's various safe browsing tools to see how much they affected my internet experience. I found most of Norton's tools to be both fast and effective, providing a pleasant and secure experience. Note: These tests were conducted on a Lenovo ThinkPad with an Intel i5 processor. Your results using this program may vary, especially if you're working with an older machine. Background performance Norton ran smoothly in the background while I performed a variety of simple tasks, including surfing the web with numerous tabs open simultaneously and simple image editing. Task Manager showed that Norton was only using around 0.2% of my CPU's processing power and 0.5% of my disk space for real-time protection, suggesting that you should be able to perform more advanced tasks like gaming or video editing without issue while Norton is running. Active scans Norton's initial Smart Scan used a mere 0.5% of my CPU's processing power and 1% of my disk space, making it far more efficient than the first scans I ran with Bitdefender and McAfee. The scan also took a mere two minutes -- one minute for the malware scan and one minute to scan my system settings for potential security issues. The scan identified two system settings issues that other programs didn't find. A full scan used between 1% and 2% of my CPU's processing power and 0.2% of my disk space. This made it easy to continue other tasks. I expected it to also mean a slow scan, but Norton finished the full scan in under 10 minutes -- slightly longer than Bitdefender's equivalent scan but much shorter than McAfee's. This is impressive considering both Bitdefender and McAfee used over 30% of my CPU's processing power and over 7% of my disk space. I ran two more full scans, both with similar results to the first. This shows that Norton has consistently low resource usage and fast scans. The quick scan also used minimal computer resources and wrapped up in roughly one minute. This held true for all three of the quick scans I ran, further proving Norton's efficiency. Screenshot by Dianna Gunn/CNET Other scan types, such as the software update scan and file manager scan (which finds files you can delete to improve your computer's performance), were also highly efficient, concluding within a couple of minutes. I was using them on a test machine with minimal programs installed, so they might take longer on your devices, but my experience suggests Norton's performance tools are fast and easy for anyone to use. Additional tools Next, I tested Norton's additional tools, starting with its performance optimization tools: the software updater, file cleanup and startup manager. All of these tools finished scanning within two minutes and provided specific suggestions for improving my device speed, complete with buttons to quickly update programs or adjust settings as recommended. I then moved on to Norton's various online tools, starting with dark web monitoring. The dark web monitoring found one dark web breach of my data within a few minutes, and while I assume it continued scanning, that was the only breach it found over several days. I was mildly surprised it didn't find more, but I can't be certain if that means it's ineffective or if my data is just better protected than I thought. Norton's Safe Search extension, which changes your default search engine from Google to Norton Safe Search, provided similar results to other search engines, with sponsored listings and regular listings. The big difference is that you'll see a green checkmark next to sites deemed safe and a red X beside results deemed unsafe. The password manager worked similarly to comparable tools, instantly filling in passwords when I opened familiar sites and suggesting strong passwords when I created accounts on new sites. Screenshot by Dianna Gunn/CNET Norton's private browser also had similar functionality to its competitors. As far as I could tell, the main difference was that it already had security tools like Norton's Safe Search extension installed. The Genie Scam Protector didn't make a notable difference in my experience with email or my phone. While I prefer this to the mildly obnoxious approach Bitdefender took -- marking every single email with a bright banner declaring it safe or unsafe -- I'm left with concerns about how effective it is. However, I can't confirm this in either direction, as I may simply not have received any scam emails during my test days. Next, I tested Norton's VPN to determine how it impacts browsing speed. I started by running Ookla speed tests three times without the VPN active to determine my average internet speed. These tests showed that my base internet had an average ping of 3milliseconds, download speed of 562.37 megabits per second and upload speed of 756.17Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) I then enabled the VPN (set to my fastest server, which is in Canada) and ran three more speed tests. These tests had an average ping of 20.33ms, download speed of 545.86Mbps and upload speed of 843.14Mbps. This fascinated me because the ping was much slower than it was without the VPN, but the impact on download speed was minimal, and upload speed actually improved. I also didn't notice any change in speed while browsing the internet with the VPN on. Screenshot by Dianna Gunn/CNET I cycled through several popular server locations, running three tests in each, and netted the following averages: US UK France Germany Singapore Australia Ping (ms) 34 171.22 183 187 465.33 415.66 Download (Mbps) 529.06 172.57 381.09 158.39 209.98 256.53 Upload (Mbps) 855.91 550.03 411.25 363.9 203.47 226.44 These numbers show that Norton's VPN doesn't significantly slow your internet speed when you're using a server relatively close to your location. Both the Canadian and US VPN servers were notably faster for me than equivalent servers from McAfee and Bitdefender. This suggests that Norton's VPN is good if you use the server closest to you Go further away, however, and your internet can become painfully slow, something I experienced when surfing the web with the VPN set to Germany. This suggests that Norton's VPN may not be ideal if you're, say, a Canadian wanting to look like an Australian so you can access shows only available on Australian Netflix. If you really want to maximize your VPN speed, you'll want to separately purchase one of CNET's best VPNs. Overall performance score Norton's antivirus scans are much faster than the competition and also use less processing power than Bitdefender or McAfee's equivalent scans. The performance optimization tools -- which you won't get using McAfee or Bitdefender -- are also fast and effective, as are Norton's safe browsing tools. The VPN proved better than other antivirus tools' connected VPNs, resulting in only minimal speed loss when I used North American servers. However, the speed loss increased significantly when I switched to servers in Europe and other distant locations. I'm also not certain the Genie Scam Protector does its job well, though I may simply not have received any scam emails during my test days. This means I can only give Norton a 9 of 10 performance ranking. Norton antivirus security Next, I evaluated Norton's overall security practices. I did this by researching third-party test results for the encryption protocols it uses to protect information stored in tools like its password manager. I also analyzed Norton's privacy policies to develop an understanding of how the company uses customer data and looked for evidence of data breaches in the past five years. Norton's security proved to be very impressive, with excellent results in all third-party testing, comprehensive encryption protocols and the most extensive privacy policy I've seen when analyzing antivirus suites. I was also impressed by its quick, thorough response to the data breach it experienced in 2022. Antivirus AV-Test, one of two industry-gold-standard testing facilities, has given Norton's antivirus a 6 out of 6 security ranking in every test over the last decade. This is far longer than the three years of perfect security scores Bitdefender earned, or even the five years of perfect security scores given to McAfee. In 2024, Norton also received a three-star Advanced Plus malware protection award from AV-Comparatives, the other industry-gold-standard lab, with a 99.96% online protection rate. The offline detection rate -- which measures how effectively the software identifies malicious software on physical devices like USB keys -- is lower, but still high at 97.7%. This shows that Norton's coverage is comprehensive on a level similar to other top antivirus tools like Bitdefender and better than McAfee, which had 99.96% online protection but only 79.3% offline detection. Security for additional tools Norton's password manager uses the same AES-256 encryption protocol that most password managers use. This protocol is internationally recognized for its ability to prevent malicious actors from intercepting data stored in the cloud. This data will only be decrypted when accessed through one of your synced devices or with your master password. You can also set up two-factor authentication, requiring the program to send a code to your phone before you can log in. Norton's cloud backup systems also use the AES-256 encryption protocol. Cloud backups are connected to the password manager's vault, meaning you can only access those files on a device authorized with your master password. Norton's VPN is a no-log VPN, which means the company doesn't keep your usage data, such as the websites you visit or the files you download. The VPN also encrypts all information sent to and from your browser while you're using it. Norton doesn't store encryption keys, ensuring complete privacy. Norton's VPN also goes through regular third-party audits from VerSprite and biannual transparency reports. This indicates that Norton is deeply committed to user privacy, more so than McAfee or Bitdefender. Privacy policy and data breaches Norton has extensive privacy policies for each software type, plus a global privacy statement that applies to most of its products. I focused on analyzing this global privacy statement. I also reviewed the transparency statements for Norton's desktop security products, Norton 360 mobile apps, password manager and VPN. Norton's global privacy statement states that it processes extensive device, security and personal data for the purpose of training and improving its software. It clarifies that Norton software will only collect as much data as needed to detect, block or report cybersecurity threats. Norton says it will remove personal identifiers from this data unless it's required to keep those identifiers to address cybersecurity threats or comply with the law. Norton says it will share your data with its business partners for the purposes of advertising and delivering associated services, processing data analytics, troubleshooting and improving its cybersecurity processes. It will also share your data with legal authorities if requested to do so. However, it's worth noting that Norton's protocols for erasing VPN data and ensuring that only you can decrypt password manager data mean it has less to share than other companies, like McAfee. Norton further states that its social media monitoring service uses APIs from several platforms and that it may share some data with them. I'm not thrilled with the limited information about what data Norton will share with these companies, but I appreciate that it provided a list of platforms it shares information with. This means you'll know which companies may receive your data, something that's not clear in McAfee's data exceptions for social media platforms. Norton has experienced one data breach in the past five years, when the password manager was targeted by mass login attempts. Norton immediately reset passwords for 925,000 potentially affected accounts and retested its security systems to ensure they were still working effectively. Based on these tests, Norton stated that its systems weren't compromised, and the attack likely began when malicious actors gained some users' credentials on the dark web and leveraged those credentials to attack other accounts. Overall security score Norton's antivirus protection, security protocols and privacy policies are more robust than many of its competitors, including popular companies like McAfee. Norton also told its customers about its 2022 data breach quickly and clearly, providing steps its users could take to protect themselves while also taking steps to improve protections on its end. However, the existence of this data breach means I can only give Norton a 9 of 10 security ranking. Norton antivirus customer service Norton offers self-serve customer support through a community forum and knowledge base. You can also get 24/7 support via live chat and phone. There's no email support, but Norton's Contact Us page includes social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter. I found this interesting because, while most corporations have customer care accounts on social platforms, those accounts are typically for damage control rather than a recommended point of contact. Support tickets, which are effectively email, are recommended far more often and are available with both Bitdefender and McAfee. I spent about an hour exploring the knowledge base to determine its effectiveness and accessibility, then reached out to customer support to get a feel for how helpful Norton's customer support team is. The experience wasn't as pleasant as working with Bitdefender or McAfee support, but it was still pretty solid, especially when contacting Norton via live chat. Knowledge base Norton's knowledge base is clearly laid out, with a prominent search function and buttons for common question categories. However, I encountered a couple of annoyances, starting with the search function's insistence on answering every question with AI rather than linking to articles. The AI pulled information from Norton's existing support articles, so it was correct, but it took longer than simply providing links. Moreover, the inability to opt out of this may be frustrating for people concerned about AI's environmental impact. Screenshot by Dianna Gunn/CNET I also disliked Norton's insistence on opening a new tab for every article I wanted to view. I can't imagine a context where this is actively helpful for a knowledge base, and if you keep a collection of tabs open like I do, it just adds clutter. That said, the articles themselves were easy to navigate, providing step-by-step instructions and using minimal jargon. Every article I opened included a video, making Norton's knowledge base extremely accessible to those who prefer learning through video -- something I can't say for competitors like Bitdefender and McAfee. Direct communication Norton's live chat is hidden on the Contact Uspage, which you can only access by scrolling to the bottom of the knowledge base, and you must specify the type of help you need before you'll see your contact options. To open an actual chat, you also need to fill out a form with your name, email address and phone number. This was annoying since I was already logged in, but not as frustrating as realizing that 'Kate,' who responded to the live chat about 30 seconds after I opened it, was a chatbot, not a person. My annoyance grew when I typed 'speak to a person' and the bot told me it didn't understand the question. I only managed to connect with an agent after telling the bot repeatedly that my problem wasn't resolved. This was even more frustrating than trying to speak to a person through Bitdefender's live chat. The good news is that, when I finally got the bot to transfer me to a rep, it only took two minutes for me to connect with a live person. The rep was knowledgeable about advanced topics related to VPN privacy and consistently responded to my queries within one or two minutes. The whole conversation wrapped up in roughly five minutes, making it both fast and effective. Next, I called Norton. Again, I had to go through several steps to get the contact number, including filling out a form with my personal information and my issue, on top of needing to sign in to view the contact number. Like Bitdefender and McAfee, Norton seems determined to make sure you'll only contact them directly as a last resort. The phone line connected me to another bot, which attempted to solve my problem on its own. I had to ask to speak to a person twice and tell the bot about the issue I wanted resolved before it passed me on to a person. The whole bot interaction only took about two minutes, but it was frustrating to once again struggle to reach a human. The phone representative struggled to answer my questions, repeating basic information about how VPNs work instead of answering my specific queries about Norton's VPN. While this may be due to the nature of my requests -- which probably aren't very common -- I was still disappointed, especially considering how quickly I got high-quality answers via live chat. However, I got my answers eventually, and the conversation only took around 10 minutes -- longer than my conversations with McAfee or Bitdefender support, but still reasonable. Overall customer support score Norton has an excellent knowledge base, but its seeming determination to prevent me from speaking with a human was frustrating. I was also disappointed by my experience with phone support, which was reasonably fast but required me to repeat my questions three times before I got answers. Between these frustrations and the lack of email support, Norton only earns an 8 of 10 customer support ranking, lower than the support rankings for both McAfee and Bitdefender. Norton antivirus value Finally, I considered Norton's value by comparing it to other top antivirus tools. Here's a quick overview of what I found: Basic plan cost Mid-range suite cost and devices Most expensive suite cost and devices Standout security features Norton $30 for the first year; $60 per year after $50 for the first year; $120 per year after; coverage for five devices $100 for the first year; $200 per year after; coverage for 10 devices Genie Scam Protection; cloud backup; LifeLock identity theft protection; $25,000 ransomware insurance Bitdefender $25 for the first year; $50 per year after $90 for the first year; $160 per year after; coverage for five devices $150 for the first year; $250 per year after; coverage for five devices Scam protection; digital footprint visualization; identity theft insurance of up to $2 million McAfee $40 for the first year; $120 per year after $90 for the first year; $200 per year after; coverage for unlimited devices $200 for the first year; $280 per year after; coverage for unlimited devices Scam protection; online account manager; identity theft insurance of up to $2 million Using this information, we can draw a few conclusions: Norton's starter plan is average , costing slightly more than Bitdefender but less than McAfee. , costing slightly more than Bitdefender but less than McAfee. Norton's higher-tier plans are more affordable than the equivalents offered by Bitdefender and McAfee. However, these savings are likely due to the lack of identity theft insurance, which may make Norton less appealing to those with significant assets to protect. than the equivalents offered by Bitdefender and McAfee. However, these savings are likely due to the lack of identity theft insurance, which may make Norton less appealing to those with significant assets to protect. Norton's lack of online account management and data visualization tools makes it less than ideal for people who've spent a long time using the internet without proper security protocols. You'll be protected from viruses, yes, but your credentials and personal information may still be at risk from accounts or websites you don't even remember visiting. and data visualization tools makes it less than ideal for people who've spent a long time using the internet without proper security protocols. You'll be protected from viruses, yes, but your credentials and personal information may still be at risk from accounts or websites you don't even remember visiting. Norton's maximum device coverage is middling. Its 10-device limit is significantly higher than Bitdefender's five-device limit, but not as impressive as McAfee's unlimited device coverage. Overall value score Overall, Norton provides solid value for the average person, but there's a reason why it's more affordable than alternatives: It simply doesn't provide the same level of protection. Users with a lot of data to clean up or assets to protect are unlikely to get the level of security support they need from even the most expensive Norton plan. This means I can't give it more than an 8 of 10 value ranking. Norton: Is it right for you? Before you make a purchasing decision, let's revisit Norton's rankings in each of our review categories: Features: 9 of 10 9 of 10 Usability: 9 of 10 9 of 10 Performance: 9 of 10 9 of 10 Security: 9 of 10 9 of 10 Customer support: 8 of 10 8 of 10 Value: 8 of 10 Altogether, these subrankings earn Norton an overall ranking of 8.6 out of 10. Norton is a good choice for many users thanks to the software's intuitive interface and excellent performance, but its imperfect customer service and lack of advanced security tools like identity theft protection mean it's not a perfect solution for everyone. In fact, both Bitdefender and McAfee earned higher rankings (9.5 and 8.8, respectively), largely thanks to their better customer support and additional privacy/identity protection tools. In other words, Norton's great if all you want is an antivirus tool with a few additional features to enhance your device's performance. If you want more robust protection features, or you're particularly concerned about the quality of your security suite's customer service, you may want to make the slightly larger investment of purchasing Bitdefender (our top-ranking antivirus) or McAfee.
CNET
13-06-2025
- CNET
Norton Adds Genie AI to Crush Online Scammers
Remember when email and text scams were riddled with grammatical errors that were easy to spot? Those days are gone, thanks to artificial intelligence tools that make it easier for scammers to create highly personalized and flawlessly written messages. Ironically, the most effective way to stop these next-level scams is to deploy the same AI technology used to create them. Norton, a leader in cybersecurity and creator of the AI-powered Genie app, has now added Genie Scam Protection to most of its Norton 360 antivirus and online protection plans at no additional cost. This is welcome news for anyone who's concerned about their online safety because it means you can put Norton 360's AI cybersecurity tools to work for you without having to use a second app. Go ahead, click on it With Genie AI now built into Norton's existing cybersecurity services, you don't need to lift a finger to find out if a text, email, website or link is a scam. Genie's AI engine detects hard-to-spot phishing and smishing (text message) scams across web and mobile by scanning through words and images to spot hidden scam patterns. Not only does the AI analyze the text, it looks for contextual cues in much the same way you would, allowing it to identify many of the sneakiest scams. Norton 360's built-in Private Browser also allows you to shop and do your banking, worry-free. If something isn't flagged but still looks suspicious, you can ask Genie's scam assistant for instant feedback. The Genie dashboard shows you how many scams the AI assistant has detected. Norton says that scammers target U.S. adults with nearly nine scam attempts every week, so that number might add up faster than you think. A Norton online protection plan for everyone Each Norton 360 plan includes Norton's antivirus, malware, ransomware and hacking tools, the newly added Genie AI scam protection, and Norton's Virus Protection Promise. The plans mostly differ by the number of devices covered, security perks and price. Norton AntiVirus Plus (now $29.99 the first year) covers one PC, Mac, tablet or phone. The 360 Standard plan (now $39.99 the first year) covers three devices and adds a virtual private network (VPN) and dark-web monitoring. The 360 Deluxe (now $49.99 the first year) covers five devices and throws in 50GB of cloud backup. Lastly, 360 with LifeLock Select Plus (now $99.99 the first year) is a smart choice for families, as it covers ten devices and has 250GB of cloud backup. It also gives you peace of mind, reimbursing you up to $1 million if you experience a financial loss due to identity theft. No matter which plan fits your needs, you can try it for 60 days with no upfront cost. When Genie starts showing you how many cyber threats have come your way, you'll be glad you did.
Tom's Guide
13-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
Finally! Steam runs natively on Mac with Apple Silicon — here's how to try it
Now that Apple announced it's ending support for all Intel-based Macs, Valve has rolled out an update that allows Steam to run natively on Apple Silicon Macs — and it's available to try out now. In the recent Steam Client Beta update, Valve details that the Steam client (and Steam Helper) app can run natively on Apple Silicon. Previously, to install Steam on Mac, gamers would have to use Rosetta 2 to run Intel-based apps on its chips. It's been a long time coming. While Rosetta gave users a way to play Steam games on their Mac, there were a few hurdles to go through to get it set up. Plus, since the Steam client runs via a Chromium-based user interface through Rosetta's transition layer, the app would run slow and hinder performance and feel laggy — especially compared to the Windows-based app. Now, Steam doesn't have to rely on this. Steam on Mac running natively on Apple Silicon is currently in beta, so Valve is still working on optimizing its popular gaming client. But after trying it out, it's clearly a faster, smoother experience, with speedier launch times, more responsive navigation and quick access to the Store and Library. If you've installed the Steam app on Mac, you can try out the native version right now — and it's easy to do. First, open the Steam app on your Mac. On the menu bar at the top of your display, select Steam and click on Preferences. This will open up the app's settings. In the Steam Settings window, select Interface in the left-hand sidebar. Under the Client Beta Participation section, navigate to the dropdown menu, select it, and click Steam Beta Update. A window will pop up asking to restart Steam in order to enable the beta version of the Steam client. Click Restart Now to download the updated app. Once the restart is complete, Steam will now be running natively on your Apple Silicon Mac! You can check if the Steam client is now on Apple Silicon in Activity Monitor. Use the Search feature and type in "Activity Monitor," open the app, search for "Steam" in the search bar and see "Apple" under "Kind." There you have it. With the update now in beta, it won't be long until the native Steam app for Apple Silicon rolls out to all, but it has yet to be announced when it will arrive. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. With macOS Tahoe 26 being the final major update for Intel-based Macs, Valve is now making the move to offer its gaming client to Mac users that use Apple's own chips. And, with Apple's first dedicated gaming app arriving, gaming on Mac is about to get a lot better. If you're wondering what else is coming to your Mac, check out the macOS Tahoe 26 features we're most excited about.
