19 December 2006 13:00 GMT / By Stephen Patrick

We all know that if you have a computer and it’s hooked up to the Internet then you need as much protection as possible to stop it being infected by all and sundry.

This latest version of Norton’s ever popular single-user security solution comes with the usual array of anti-virus, firewall and detection tools but also adds some vastly improved anti-spyware, anti-phishing and instant messaging defences.

The first big change, though, is the newly improved interface. Most of the dialogue boxes from previous versions have gone, with a clean interface with simple instructions being the order of the day.

One of the changes with the new interface is the addition of clear big icons on the left-hand side of the screen. These immediately tell you the status of your system and flag up any potential problems.

When you install the software, you’ll find there is little to set up in the default mode, as the program now handles most of this in the background. Sure, it’s still there, it just isn’t on display, so in many respects you simply have to trust that’s it’s doing the best job possible – which it is.

You won’t find anything particularly new or ground breaking on offer, but you will find that everything has been tightened up. Take the anti-spyware, for instance, which has been greatly improved. Anti-phishing has also been strengthened but the thing we like the most is that the program no longer throws up as many alerts and pop-up boxes, simply choosing to deal with any potential threats in the background.

You may be thinking, if there is nothing new, why should I spend this much on protection when there are a host of similar tools for free out there? The simple answer is, performance, Norton has made this the easiest version yet and with the improvements on offer, it’s easy to justify the price.

If you want to delve deeper into our your security settings work, you can always access the Security Inspector, which scans your system for potential problems, such as weak passwords, vulnerable browser/IM settings and the like, which helps you tighten your defenses.

One of the big problems we’ve always had with Norton is the amount of system resources, especially memory, which the software has needed to run smoothly. Thankfully, this is no longer the case, as 2007 feels positively streamlined in comparison. Even on a low-powered PC, you’ll hardly notice it’s there.

Verdict

Norton Internet Suite 2007 may offer nothing to differentiate itself from the host of other suites on the market, the ease of setup and use makes it by far one of the best of its kind. It may not be cheap but you’ll be happy you have it protecting your system.

Score

Review Recap

Made by

Symantec

Price as reviewed

£50

The good

Clear icons to tell you the status of your machine, easy to install

The bad

Doesn't add anything new, doesn't inform you as much as previous versions

Quick verdict

This latest version is the most powerful to date – it doesn’t add anything new, just does it a whole lot better

Score

Winner

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