Why do you think that if data security is important then its ‘safe’ and ‘easy’ availability is equally important? Do you think Norton has extended the overall definition of data security where the issue of 'data availability' is equally focused on?
With cybercrime on the rise, an unprotected PC can become infected within four minutes of connecting to the Internet. The PC users’ personal information and files are also at risk through data loss. In fact, Norton has found that one in three online adults lose irreplaceable data on their PC . With the recent launch of Norton 360 v4, Norton brings the best of both worlds to the consumers – unparalleled security and seamless access and sharing of files, photos and music— anytime from any device.
Norton 360 v4 includes the reputation-based technology launched in September 2009 with Norton Internet Security and Norton AntiVirus 2010. The technology tackles undiscovered malware and today’s toughest threats head-on. Using reputation, Norton 360 has achieved the top score in third-party testing conducted by UK-based Dennis Labs , which were designed to replicate real-world, Web-based attacks such as those that target social networking sites. Of the 10 products tested, Norton was the only one to protect against all of the threats, achieving a 100 percent overall protection score.
Additionally, mobile telephony brings a plethora of security hazards which become subjects of our treatments. Users of smartphones and PDAs who get access to corporate networks are particularly exposed to nefarious designs of cyber-criminals. The growth of smartphones itself is seeing amazing momentum—this is predicated that smartphone users would account for nearly half of all mobile phone sales worldwide by 2013. So, the mobile telephony is a definitive area for our business activism Also, Norton introduces its first beta application for the Android and plans to introduce its first beta applications for the iPad and iPhone in the next few weeks. After downloading the free application of their choice from the iPhone App Store or the Android Market, consumers who have stored data online with Norton 360 or Norton Online Backup can access and share their documents, music, photos or videos directly from their devices. Norton products and services help more than 11 million consumers stay connected anytime, anywhere with their online-data. Now Norton 360 users who avail of ‘online-storage’ can access any of their files from a Web browser—making it easier to download or email a link to friends and families.
In what way Norton 360 v4 would be carrying out the holistic data security chores of customers? Do you think customers would be placing important, rather, tactical data over the cloud (using Norton 360)?
In fact, data that is backed-up ‘online’ using Norton 360 v4 which provides a highly secured provision for storing data remotely. The data stored on the clouds (using Norton 360 v4) are encrypted which thwarts any attempts to tamper or steal it. The users of Norton 360 v4 are given with secured authentication numbers and only ‘THEY’ can access the stored data online. Norton 360 version 4.0 includes new technology which uses cloud-based intelligence to identify malware in an entirely new way— beyond traditional signatures and ‘behavior-based’ detection. Three plus years in the making, this technology is a real-time reputation system which tracks files and applications (and dozens of attributes such as age, download source, digital signature, and prevalence). These attributes are combined using numerous algorithms to determine a reputation. As a file is distributed across the Internet, and these attributes change, the technology updates the reputation of the file. This reputation is especially important when a file is new, likely to be a threat—with traditional defenses unable to detect it.
This technology is unique to Norton. Other vendors talk about services “in the cloud” but they typically mean nothing more than hosted malware signatures. This helps to speed-up the delivery of signatures as well as allowing these vendors to use more malware signatures or definitions than before, but does not meaningfully improve their ability to detect today’s flood of unknown threats, as they still require a malware sample to create an associated signature. Our studies have shown that the majority of new malware only ever exists on fewer than 50 machines in the entire globe.
The Norton 360 v4 is meant for SOHO and SMB entities, where online back-up is its USP (Unique Selling Point). Do you think these SOHO/SMB customers have started grasping the efficacy of using the wholesome security definition being provided in Norton 360?
Norton 360 v4 is the latest version of Norton’s comprehensive, all-in-one security suite targeted at end-users, which could be home users, SOHOs or SMBs. Norton 360 v4 offers security, online backup and PC tune-up with ‘Set it and forget it’ convenience. Consumers want comprehensive solutions which cater to all their information security needs. This requirement is met by Norton 360 v4.
Norton 360 delivers a wide spectrum of benefits including ‘multi-layered’ protection to secure computers against attacks that take advantage of various points of entry to infect computers and steal personal information; safe browsing and safe shopping functionality; identity protection to defend against phishing scams designed to steal personal and financial information (including password management that automatically detects, stores, and secures logins and passwords); and of course, automated backup and restore functionality protects irreplaceable photos, financial documents and more by automatically saving them locally or online so they can be recovered anytime. However, while offering so many advantages, the biggest hall mark of Norton 360 v4 is that it never retards the overall performance of PCs. Norton 360v4 delivers an all-in-one solution, eliminating need for purchasing and managing multiple-point products which may or may not function well together.

It has been noticed that many of security features imbedded in security solutions provided by respective vendors lie either un-used or at best miss-understood (the biggest suffer is the Firewall which is quite often turned-off). What is your opinion on this issue of people not using such security functionalities at all?

Today, cybercrime has surpassed illegal drug trafficking as a criminal moneymaker. While cybercriminals continue to concentrate on compromising end-users for financial gain, consumers remain complacent and vulnerable to being victims of cybercriminal attacks. Today, people who go online are vulnerable to a cyber-attacks—they can no longer assume ‘it won’t happen to them’. As a market leader, we’re aware of our position. Virus signatures are now refreshed through pulse-updates, which stream small, frequent updates in near real-time to help provide customers with the latest in protection. Additionally, protection provided by signatures is only a fraction of the protection provided by Norton products. Based on recent AV-Test.org data, Norton provides an average of 270 pulse updates per day, nearly 14 times more frequently than the nearest competitor. The pulse-updates take care of not just antivirus definitions, but also firewall and reputation updates.
Additionally, Norton Safe Web identifies unsafe websites and suspicious sellers in search results so consumers can surf and shop confidently. The new products are designed so that tasks run even when users are not on their PCs. Scans, live-update, Norton Insight queries and other activities take place only when they will not interrupt the user’s activities.
Do you think Norton 360 v4 can also suffer from this bahaviourial feebleness on part of user groups? How would you dismantle the notion, if any, that using Norton 360 is a tough and fuzzy process of deploying involved security fencings?
On the contrary, Norton 360 v4 is extremely quick and easy to install and use. Our ‘Set it and forget it’ convenience automatically resolves security issues which arise and ensures updates and upgrades are incorporated. Furthermore, according to a Passmark report, Norton 360 v4 had the best overall performance and lowest impact to daily activities among consumer security products, despite its superior detection capabilities.

For making SOHO/SMB customers understand the full potential and applicability of Norton 360 v4, what are the awareness and training programs being run by the company for end-users? By the way, how has been the response of these SOHO/SMB customers around Norton 360 product suite in the country?
According to the recently released Internet Security Threat Report, in 2009, Symantec blocked an average of 100 potential attacks per second. Symantec’s security software blocked more than 3.2 billion attacks last year across all Symantec’s customers which is equal to one attack for every two people in the world. Given today’s threat landscape, Internet security is no longer an option for consumers. The choice is between getting peace of mind by selecting a comprehensive internet security software with reputation based security such at Norton 360 v4 or a point product. As the market leader for Internet security Symantec is committed to educating the consumers and raising the awareness of cybercrime. Some of our other key initiatives include Surveys and research; 3rd party partnerships; and Norton Inner Circle. Symantec commissions Internet security related surveys and studies regularly to keep consumers apprised of the threat landscape. Some of these reports include- Internet Security Threat report (ISTR), Underground Economy Report and Norton Online Living Report. Additionally, we had conducted the Norton 360 a free online tool that determines the safety and protection level of the family and PCs from online threats. It provides a customized report that points out the problem areas in the home Internet usage and offers tips and advice for more secure online environment.
We also partner with prominent NGOs, educational institutes and event community initiatives to educate consumers about the dangers of cybercrime. We have sponsored events in schools and colleges and most recently conducted a T-shirt designing competition in India with the aim to create more awareness around cyber security and encourage youth to practice safe online habits. Reinforcing its commitment to making Indian children better and more responsible citizens, Norton has embarked on yet another campaign. Norton is the proud sponsor of ‘Discover India’, a gripping and enchanting nation-wide quiz program in Urban Indian schools. At the same time, we have launched the Norton Inner Circle in India – a forum for like-minded technology enthusiasts to gather and discuss web/data security

Do you think Symantec has created a trend (of online data back up and its easy availability) where above mention companies would follow the suit?
Absolutely. Cyber crime has surpassed illegal drug trafficking as a criminal money maker. Every three seconds an identity is stolen. We cannot ignore the fact that cybercriminals are now destroying lives rather than computers. With the introduction of the powerful new reputation-based security, we have, once again, raised the bar for Internet security and set new standard for the industry. Harnessing the power of millions of users united against cyber crime, Norton products give consumers the power to ‘deny’ digital dangers and ‘allow’ a safe online experience.
As the market leader for Internet security we are constantly improving our technology and value proposition for consumers. We were the first to recognize the importance of backup, and the inclusion of backup in Norton 360 v4 is a testimony to our commitment to our customers.

How big and intrusive is the channel network of Norton in India? What is the overall channel strategy of Norton in the country? For promoting Norton 360, what are the incentive programs for channel partners?
One initiative we have undertaken recently is to make Norton products available to more consumers by appointing about 90 star partners across the country. Symantec also places an extremely strong emphasis on educating and empowering our channel partners with information on emerging Internet threats, solutions that will protect consumers against them, the importance and benefits of subscription based security suites, which provide full protection and customer support – a perk that they do not enjoy with freeware. With such information, our partners can provide sound recommendations to their customers so that the products they purchase will add immense value to their online safety. Programs such as the Norton Champs have met with tremendous success and will continue this year in 2010, where channel partners get rewarded for contributing to Norton’s business.

What are the channel training programs underway for making Norton’s partners well versed and enlightened warriors who understand the nature and functionalities of products like Norton 360 v4?
Norton conducts around 15 channel meets every quarter across the country in Tier-II and Tier-III cities to make partners aware of the latest technology and the threat landscape. Furthermore, we share email newsletters regularly to update our partners. We have also spread awareness among our partners on the importance and benefits of our reputation-based technology.
Till now, most of the companies like McAfee, Trend Micro, F-Secure, AVG, Kaspersky, Quick Heal and K7 Computing have not put heed on the availability aspect of overall data protection.

As the world economy has largely recovered and once again business houses have resumed their intense activities, the chances of targeted and blended cyber attacks would increase with more lethality and sophistication? Do you think solution like Norton 360 v4 can protect the business interest of SOHO and SMB alike in this time of economic resurgence?
The evolution and complexity of security threats today has rendered existing technology obsolete. That’s why Symantec has developed reputation-based technology, which takes the greatest weapon cyber criminals have in their arsenal – their ability to generate unique pieces of malware at an alarming rate – and turns that very weapon against them.
Reputation-based technology tracks files and applications and dozens of attributes such as age, download source, digital signature, and prevalence. These attributes are combined using numerous algorithms to determine a reputation. As a file is distributed across the Internet and these attributes change, the technology updates the reputation of the file. This reputation is especially important when a file is new, likely to be a threat, and traditional defenses are not likely to detect it.
This technology, which is part of Norton 360 v4, leverages 53 million Norton Community Watch members Norton Community Watch who choose to anonymously contribute data about the applications running on their systems. This data is fed into a reputation engine where dozens of attributes for each file, such as age, download source, digital signature, and prevalence are combined to determine its reputation. Without ever having to ask the user, Norton can infer with an extremely high degree of accuracy the likelihood of an unknown application being good or bad. Using reputation, Norton 360 has achieved the top score in third-party testing conducted by UK-based Dennis Labs , which were designed to replicate real-world, Web-based attacks such as those that target social networking sites. Of the 10 products tested, Norton was the only one to protect against all of the threats, achieving a 100 percent overall protection score.