Product Description

Clean out Internet buildup with Norton CleanSweep¿ from Symantec. Its powerful tools improve your PC¿s performance by removing unwanted programs and other files that waste disk space. Internet Sweep cleans away the clutter accumulated by Web surfing, including cookies that track your Internet activities. Fast & Safe Cleanup automatically removes files you no longer need, while Safety Sweep¿ prevents the accidental deletion of critical files. The Uninstall Wizard guides you safely step by step through removing old programs. Now Windows¿ XP users can also enjoy the benefits of this award-winning program. Trust Norton CleanSweep 2002 for safe, easy, complete hard drive cleanup.¿¿¿¿¿

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5111 in Software
• Color: Norton Personal Firewall 2003
• Brand: Symantec
• Released on: 2002-10-01
• Platforms: Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows NT
• Format: CD-ROM
• Dimensions: .35 pounds

Amazon.com Review
It's not enough just to run antivirus software anymore. Especially if you've got a broadband connection or spend a lot of time online, you need a personal firewall to keep an eye on hackers trying to access your computer. This is a complex area and unless you're a security expert, you need a program that's simple to configure but that also offers strong protection so you know you can trust the options it suggests.

Norton Personal Firewall 2003 fits the bill on both counts. When you install it, the instructions walk you through configuring your system by choosing network settings and scanning your PC for programs that access the Internet. It knows about common applications, so you won't have to tweak umpteen settings to get your e-mail working, and helpful dialog boxes explain the risks of allowing or blocking access.

Not only does it block port scans (where a hacker tests your connection to the Internet, trying to get access), Norton Personal Firewall 2003 also checks all the data entering and leaving your computer, looking for anything suspicious. If it spots suspicious data transfers, it checks the signature database (like the definitions in an antivirus package, and updated in the same way through LiveUpdate). This protects you against Trojan horses and worms like Nimda and Code Red.

You can also protect yourself on the Web. Turn on ad blocking to get rid of irritating pop-up ads from Web sites. You can also choose what information a site sees about you and your browser, turn off animations, scripts, and flash, or block ads on the page itself; a number of sites are preconfigured for you.

Norton Personal Firewall 2003 blocks all the common attacks, making your PC invisible as well as secure online, and it does it without making your applications hard to use or demanding you become a security expert. --Mary Branscombe

Amazon.com Product Description
Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall 2003 keeps hackers out and personal data in. Its robust defenses include intrusion detection, application control, and privacy protection--all in one easy-to-use program. Right out of the box, Norton Personal Firewall hides your PC on the Internet to keep hackers from seeing it. That action alone can prevent many attacks. In addition, Symantec's exclusive Norton Intrusion Detection feature thoroughly examines incoming Internet traffic and automatically blocks suspicious activities. Hackers can also conduct malicious activity from your PC, so Internet Access Control stops spyware and Trojan horse programs masquerading as legitimate Internet applications on your PC from connecting to the Internet.

Norton Privacy Control easily prevents confidential data from being sent over the Internet without your knowledge. It protects personal information in e-mail, instant messages, and Microsoft Office attachments. All this power is readily accessible, with built-in assistance that helps you get started quickly and respond to threats effectively. And Symantec's LiveUpdate keeps Norton Personal Firewall current with regular, automatic downloads of security updates to defend against new threats. For small businesses, 5- and 10-user packs are also available.

Customer Reviews

Wait a while before installing this product
I've been a loyal Nortons user for years and recently upgraded from Norton Antivirus 2002 and Personal Firewall 2002 to the 2003 versions. The new Norton Antivirus works like a charm. The Personal Firewall 2003 (also a component of Internet Security) has a bug in it that prevents group emails (roughly 6-10 or more email addresses) from being delivered and forces a reboot of the computer to be able to send/receive mail again. Many dozen Personal Firewall 2003 users have duplicated the exact problem and reported it on Symantec's support site. Symantec agrees that many users report this problem but their support staff haven't found a fix yet.

My suggestion is to wait until the problem is fixed before buying a product which limits the usefulness of email.

Great Product - Great Price!
Basically, if you have a connection to the Internet that is constantly open, you should get some kind of Firewall AND AnitVirus. I decided to buy Norton Personal Firewall 2003 because I have had Norton AntiVirus 2002 and it worked extremely well. Once I got the Firewall, I installed it easily and in about 5 minutes had both the Norton Firewall and the Norton AntiVirus integrated into ONE security box. The pop-up blocker also WORKS GREAT! Not one pop-up since. I recommend both Norton Personal Firewall 2003 and Norton AntiVirus 2003 because nobody knows when someone will either send you a virus or scan your computer looking to hack in. Yet with these two products you can rest assured that when something goes wrong in the security department, you will be well equipped to deal with it.

Norton Personal Firewall 2003 runs well under XP
Symantec seems to have ironed out the kinks in the Internet Security software running under Windows XP. The software installed and updated itself and immediately began protecting the system which uses a cable modem with a router. The AD blocking is working well. I plan to buy another copy to run on another computer that is on the same cable modem. The firewall rules were automatically adapted to my usage - where as the last version could never seem to remember the rules and kept asking about internet access - so much so - that it was uninstalled. The trace feature is kind of nice, I received a TCP illegal flags attack and it tracked it down to Minneapolis and one from Bejing China.