MOSTUSERS LOVE THE PROTECTION security software gives them but hate the way it drags down their daily activities. Good news: Nor-ton Internet Security 2009 affects performance less than any suite I've tested. Most security tasks happen in the background during idle time. My performance tests confirm that Nor¬ton slows systems less than the rest.

The big independent antivirus testing labs all certify the effectiveness of Symantec's antivirus technology; those who have tested the 2009 edition find it improved. It scans files on demand, on access, and during idle time. A full scan took 50 minutes on my standard test system, but the Nor¬ton Insight feature reduced that to 5 minutes on later scans.

Norton scored better than other suites in the malware removal test, and it was unusually thorough. In the malware blocking test it eliminated all but one of the mal ware samples before they launched. Overall it did better than all the other suites and standalone antispyware products that I've tested with my current collection of malware. Norton's phishing protection works the same as that of the 2008 edition and continues to be extremely accurate.



The firewall is hardened against malware, and it easily passed my barrage of Web-based assaults. And when I attacked a test system using the Core Impact penetration tool, it blocked all the sample exploits.

The Network Security map shows all the devices connected.to your network and reports whether your wireless network is secure. From the map you can remotely monitor other computers on the network that are also running Norton. And you can lock out specific devices by setting their trust level to restricted.

Spam protection, however, is useless. In testing, it tossed more than a third of my valid personal mail into the spam folder and missed nearly 30 percent of undeniable spam. Don't rely on this feature.

Norton's Identity Safe is a password-protected way to store credentials and log in automatically. It also fills Web forms with your predefined personal data, all protected by a strong master password.

This is definitely the slimmest, most unobtrusive Norton ever, yet its protection is top-notch where it counts. Despite a few weaknesses, Nor-ton Internet Security 2009 is the best all-around security suite I've ever seen; I'll be installing it on my own systems. -Neil J Rubenking