The Symantec/Norton Thread.

I figured this would be a good place to consolidate, since Norton/Symantec seems to be a vagrant between other non-related threads.

Frank the Perv's suggestion of course.

 

Krusty & Dudes,

I use SEP 12.1.5 on two computers. I use it in a client-only installation.

From 12.1.4 forward, I find SEP to be a really smooth and polished product.

In Endpoint product testing, SEP does very well.

I've looked around and cannot find a clear answer..

What are the fundamental protection differences between SEP and Norton Security?


-ftp

 

Good idea, since the old thread was for Norton IS, Norton AV, Norton 360, which no longer exist anymore

 

I don't have an entirely positive experience with SEP. It's on a few thousand of the machines we manage. If I dial insight up it nags, and provides allow exclusions. The PUP/PUA detection in SEP seems a step behind Norton 2015, and SEP seems more reliant on signatures then Norton 2015. At least that's my perception of it - that SEP features are now in 2015, which boosted 2015, but 2015 isn't sharing features back with SEP.

Good product, but not our first choice on deployments.

 

well I took the plunge with the up to 5 devices. I had trialed it and at first complained about it being to heavy but was mistaken. With 2 laptops and 2 Macs it is a very good deal. Honestly I never thought I would purchase a Norton product but am totally impressed with it.

 

Hi FtP,

I have no experience with the Symantec security programs as I've only ever used the Norton home user programs but as far as I'm aware all Symantec / Norton programs share the same definitions sets. I don't know what differences are under the hood. I'll see if I can find out more for you.

In the mean time, maybe this page will help, but it doesn't mention the 2015 products - http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/introduction-various-symantec-and-norton-security-products

Also this but it is also a bit old - http://smallbusiness.chron.com/syma...dition-vs-norton-internet-security-58948.html

Cheers,
Krusty

 

I banned Norton from my life around 2003ish (or so) if I recall, and ran Nod32 (back when nobody in the USA seemed to know NOD existed), then ran Avira(paid) for many years, the back to Eset. But with the 2015 release, and new customer oriented approaches, and new 5 and 10 PC license model I gave them when 2015 version arrived, and was incredibly impressed.. A few licenses later, it's on my short list of AV's I will run! I swore I would never touch Norton again for all of those years (2003-2014).

It installs fine, runs fine, doesn't fuss, doesn't mess anything up, and catches all of the trash my kids try to install.

 

Don't feel bad...I found myself cheering for the Cowboys this last month....I think Mercury must be in retrograde!

 

Awesome explanation about Symantec Endpoint Protection here:

http://malwaretips.com/threads/symantec-endpoint-protection-review-explanation.30546/

and here

Symantec Endpoint Protection (review & explanation)

It really made my mind about how good it can be.



And about Norton 2015, to me it is a fantastic product, runs very light, awesome protection and no false positives even on agressive settings.

 

Does anybody else have the bug where the protection updates on the main GUI is one day behind the actual updates? On the screen shots update says 1/20/15 and in logs under live updates there have been five updates on 1/21/15. Using windows 7 64 bit up to date.

 

Yep same bug. My GUI turns current late afternoon but all the updates are current.

 

It's done that for me since NS / NSwB was in beta. I always ass-u-me-d it was because I was a day ahead of the U.S.

 

They also have a bug in Optimize. PC Tune Up does not match the Optimized Graph.

 

I can confirm this bug with the portuguese version too.

 

Hopefully, they have a fix in the works for the bug because it's annoying to have to go to update logs to check if it's updating properly.

 

Too many error logs, is it normal?


http://i.imgur.com/IaZgnu3.png

 

Mine just says current...and it is. Maybe that's the fix.

 

Same here..."Current".

 

Mine is current too right now at 9:59 pm est. Earlier in the day it was one day behind. The day before it was behind a day for just a bit over 23 hours then went current right before midnight, and then at midnight it went back to being a day behind again.

No big deal really. I can just do a manual live update, and it goes current, but auto updates stay behind a day or most of the day.

 

is the gui not showing the date that the last definitions were added not the date your pc downloaded them?

 

As a Norton / Symantec retailer I've got free access to Norton Anti-Virus, Norton Internet Security, Norton 360, Norton 360 Premium / Multi-Device and the new Norton Security and Norton Security with Backup suits. I also managed to get access to Symantec Endpoint Protection for my Windows Server installation as Norton / Symantec refuse to let you install their consumer products on Sever installations for whatever reason even though it's basically the exact same kernel and software.. They claim its due to compatibility, I suspect its more about the opportunity to demand more money out of business / enterprise. But as almost all other companies is doing the exact same thing you can't really blame them, can you.

Unfortunately they only provide me with access to a portal giving me Symantec Endpoint Protection for Windows (x32 and x64) and Mac OS X. I'm not given access to any of the Symantec Management Tools so I'm basically getting the business / enterprise editions of Norton Internet Security / Norton Security. To be honest, I would be just as comfortable with simply running Norton Security on my server as I'm not getting access to any of the management utilities and quite frankly I find Symantec Endpoint Protection to be somewhat more quirky to manage.


I have been told numerous times that the AV-engine and whatnot behind Symantec Endpoint Protection (v12.1.5) is basically the exact same thing as what you get within Norton Security. The difference is the GUI, and the fact that Symantec Endpoint Protection can be managed through Symantec Management Tools. I'm not entirely convinced. The GUI is vastly different, like always these enterprise / business solutions stick with GUI developed in the 90's, or at least so it feels. I'm not overly enthusiastic about the direction GUI is taking the last year with over simplistic UX and almost all advanced features and customisability stripped out, but the UX of Symantec Endpoint Protection feels old and clunky compared to anything consumer based I've used for the past 5-8 years. With that said I'm not convinced that the engine is identical, because in terms of footprint there is no denying that Symantec Endpoint Protection is using way more system resources compared to Norton Security and I don't feel the added customisability and all is worth the extra tax it got on the system. And I feel like I really have to scale back the security settings in order for it not being overly sensitive to a lot of things. The standard settings will toss false-positives left and right..

 

SEP isn't anything like Norton 2015 from my experience. The technology in SEP Is heavily dependent on managed clients, but also the SEP technology is much more dated in some respects than 2015.. SEP doesn't have nearly as potent of a reputation engine, and it's insight features are quite dated. Norton 2015 benefited this year from integration of some of the SEP features, and backend, but SEP hasn't benefited from anything from the consumer product in my opinion. It does feel clunky, dated, and troublesome (SEP) in comparison to the consumer product.

The reason the development cycles on enterprise end points is so slow is because they can't break anything. Millions of dollars are at stake, and even a slight 'fracture' of something can cost a company thousands of dollars a minute. So basically EP products ARE using early 2000's technology in comparison to desktop. Look at Trend 2015 vs Worry Free.. Worry Free is roughly 5 development cycles behind Trend 2015!!! Terrible interface on Worry Free, and completely MISSING the reputation/DNA engine of the consumer product. Trend's strength on Worry Free comes only from a properly configured SERVER - it's the best EEP in my opinion due to the strong, well laid out, and option filled server enterprise clients can run. Otherwise Trend EEP is ridiculously dated.

 

SEP reputation engine actually is more powerful than Norton. SEP's insight has different levels of protection, one can configure it to only allow files with "perfect" reputation. (I know that you know that )

SEP is using many technologies from the consumer product, like Power Eraser, Download Insight and the new optimized database.
I really dont think it is dated, properly configured it is simple amazing.

To me all enterprise versions need to be properly configured, security policies are their strength after all.

 

I deal with SEP everyday (BTW). You'd be surprised how many run this unmanaged, which is where I think it falls way behind. To me Norton 2015 feels like a more evolved product, stronger cloud features, nice interface, etc. I dislike how SEP insight gives people the option to 'allow' low reputation files.

I know about the insight slider, and other tweaks, which require a tremendous amount of 'tweaking', and often things break unintentionally. For deployment I would take Trend Micro w/Trend Server over this any day - and we have far less 'problems' with it. SEP (managed) is probably stronger if deployed with best practices, and the time is invested to adjust it to the best protection without breaking anything.

 

I see, SEP unmanaged is inferior to Norton 2015 in many aspects, I wouldnt want to deploy it unmanaged.

About Trend Micro, I really want to see a faster development cycle in their Enterprise products.
BTW I am anxious to see Trend Micro 2016 beta, keep us informed