Calling ALL Norton AV users

[classicsoftware]

For those of you still using NAV. I have a few questions.

How does it update the AV definitions?

Does it still use Live Update?

Is user intervention required?

Can the user prevent the update?

Thanks

[jcnoernberg]

How does it update the AV definitions?

It downloads the .DAT virus files via the norton GUI and installs them automatically

Does it still use Live Update?

Yes, well mine does at least

Is user intervention required?

You can set it to auto update and it requires nothing from you... or you can update it manually

Can the user prevent the update?

Yes, and it will warn you when your database is out of date

[pop pop]

I can only speak to when I used to use Norton...actually I used System Works and had a trial version of NIS. In both cases there were two methods of update. The one for the AV definitions was automatic, would happen usually once a week around Wednesday, and the activity would be visible somewhere around the taskbar. Whether that's technically "LiveUpdate", I'm not sure. The second method was manual, by a menu selection somewhere on the program. They definitely called that "LiveUpdate". The big difference there is that it updates everything--AV definitions and program updates all at once. If it's a big update, you often had to run it several times. As I recall, you could disable the update feature for everything but AV definitions--Norton did that for you, on a whim (especially NAV2004) or when your subscription expired


Other than blocking it from the firewall, I don't know. Many of the Norton processes are protected. They'll give you access denied errors if you try to stop them, or they just restart right away.

EDIT: I stand corrected on the AV disable...it has been a while.

[classicsoftware]

How often does it check for updates? The reason I ask is that the most recent issue of PC magazine reviewed AV products and showed NAV was the fastest to update their defs while AVAST was slower. The thing is, AVAST updates all of the time, sometimes twice a day while NAV is weekly. It doesn;t matter how fast they release is you have to wait a week to get it.

[pop pop]

Here's what I think (based on what I saw). Norton's "standard" update schedule is once a week on Wednesday (kind of like M$ Update Tuesday each month). HOWEVER, if something serious breaks, or it's a particularly active week, it's more often, basically as needed or as they see fit. Updates are always posted on the Norton/Symantec website before they go out automatically, you can manually download and install on that schedule if you have the time and want to go to that trouble. The auto-update thing "seems" to be on the weekly, but obviously your installation "checks" more often or else it wouldn't see the aperiodic ones.

Speed of definition update? As in how long it takes to download and install? Depends on "how" they do it. If the update is "incremental", meaning new definitions appended to the xisting file, it would be faster. Norton probably does it that way, I think AVG and Kapersky do too. If the entire definitions file is updated and replaces the old, it slower...obviously. Mischel does that with TrojanHunter. I'm using Kapersky now and they update a minimum of eight times day. The updates are very small and very fast. Kapersky is also very effective, which means the most. I don't care how they do it, or how long it takes--within reason--as long as they get it right.

[classicsoftware]

Spped of release as in how fast after it's discovered a definition update is relased.

[PrntRhd]

Norton does a regular LU weekly (Usually Wednesday) and more updates as needed for emergency situations. Kapersky does theirs as much as 8 times per day, but that is quite a bit much of traffic being logged per day.

[pop pop]

Speed of release as in how fast after it's discovered a definition update is relased.

I have no benchmarks here, only observed experience. I would say Kapersky is first (fastest with a fix out to the field), Avast next, and Norton somewhere in the back of the pack. Norton may technically come up with a fix first, but if it's just posted on their site for manual download...well, lot's of people remain vulnerable for longer than necessary.