About Symantec
Symantec Corporation was the parent company of Norton Security (now Norton LifeLock), one of the world's most recognizable consumer cybersecurity brands offering antivirus, internet security, identity theft protection, and VPN products. Symantec's consumer division was rebranded as NortonLifeLock (now Gen Digital) while the enterprise security division was sold to Broadcom, so the "Symantec" brand primarily continues in enterprise security while Norton serves consumer markets.
Norton Security products protect consumers from malware, ransomware, phishing, and identity theft through real-time monitoring, antivirus scanning, secure VPN, password management, and dark web monitoring. Norton 360 bundles antivirus, VPN, and identity theft monitoring into a comprehensive consumer security suite that competes with Bitdefender, McAfee, and Kaspersky for multi-device household protection.
Norton/Symantec's first-year pricing is aggressive—typically 40–60% off regular annual renewal rates—making careful attention to the renewal price essential before subscribing. Evaluating Windows Defender (free, built-in Windows 10/11 antivirus) as a free baseline alternative to paid antivirus helps right-size the security investment for users with standard risk profiles.
Quick Savings Tips
- First-year pricing is typically 40–60% off—renewal price will be significantly higher, so plan accordingly
- Windows Defender (free, built into Windows 10/11) provides strong baseline protection for average users
- Norton 360 bundles antivirus + VPN + identity monitoring—evaluate vs. buying each service separately
- Compare with Bitdefender and Malwarebytes for equivalent consumer security at comparable or lower price points
- Auto-renewal is enabled by default—calendar a reminder to evaluate renewal price vs. switching at renewal time