Norton 360 Everywhere

Symantec's Norton 360 Everywhere ($99/year, direct) is a multi-platform security suite that can protect up to five PCs, Macs or Android devices and also includes 25GB of hosted online backup specifically for PCs. It's definitely a bargain for those with many devices to protect.

You use a single Norton 360 Everywhere license key to install protection on up to five devices. The online Norton Management console lets you check protection status and manage licenses. From the console you can remove protection from one device and transfer it to another, for example when you upgrade your smartphone.

PC Protection
This multi-suite protects your PCs with the powerful Norton 360 Version 6.0 ($79.99 direct for three licenses, 4.5 stars). To get 25GB of backup with Norton 360 you'd have to purchase the Premium edition, which costs the same as Norton 360 Everywhere. That makes Norton 360 Everywhere a real bargain for those with more than three PCs.

Norton 360 excels in all areas. Its firewall handles threats and exploits without hassling the user. The spam filter and phishing protection are top-notch, and it performed well in antivirus tests by PCMag and by independent labs. Password management and form filling are handled by Norton Identity Safe (free, 4 stars), now available as a standalone product.

Full Suite for Macs
Like McAfee All Access ($99.95/year direct for? licenses, 4.5 stars), Norton 360 Everywhere offers a full security suite. Bitdefender Sphere ($99.95/year direct for? licenses, 4 stars), Kaspersky ONE Universal Security ($79.95/year direct for three licenses, 3.5 stars), and Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security Premium Edition ($99.95 direct for? licenses, 3 stars) just offer standalone antivirus to protect Macs.

Norton Internet Security for Mac scans for malware on demand and blocks threats in real time. It watches incoming email and instant messages, stripping out any malicious attachments. A two-way firewall protects against hack attacks. Website filtering prevents accidental visits to fraudulent (phishing) sites and sites hosting malware.

Mobile Security
Like most multi-device security suites, Norton 360 Everywhere specifically protects Android devices, both smartphones and tablets. McAfee and Kaspersky also include protective apps for BlackBerry and Symbian; Kaspersky adds Windows Phone 7.

In addition to antivirus protection, Norton Mobile Security 2.0 ($29.95 direct) lets users locate, lock, or wipe a stolen phone by sending a coded text message. Its SIM card lock feature prevents a thief from changing out the phone's SIM card. Norton Mobile Security steers users away from phishing sites and can block unwanted calls and texts.

It's Not Norton One
In many ways Norton 360 Everywhere resembles Norton One ($149.95/year direct for five licenses, 4.5 stars). Both protect up to five Macs, PCs, or Android devices. Both come with 25GB of online backup. Both install on multiple devices with a single license key that can be managed online.

What extras do you get for Norton One's $149.95/year? For starters, it comes with 24/7/365 premium support. Contact support via live chat or have support call you; they'll handle any security-related task, from helping with installation to making sure a pesky virus is really gone. Norton One also streamlines the process of installing protection on your devices.

Another difference crops up if you want to protect more than five devices. To add a sixth device with Norton One, you pay one-fifth of the five-license price pro-rated over the time remaining in your subscription. For example, adding a sixth device halfway into the subscription would cost about $15.

Norton 360 Everywhere doesn't offer pro-rated licensing. To protect more than five devices you need another subscription. The same is true of Kaspersky ONE, though you can purchase three-, five-, or ten-device packages. Trend Micro's multi-device suite specifically protects three Macs, three PCs, and three Android devices.

?ber-geeks with dozens of devices may prefer the unlimited licensing offered by McAfee All Access and Bitdefender Sphere. For the same price as Norton 360 Everywhere, McAfee protects all devices owned by an individual while Bitdefender protects all devices in the household.

If you want set-and-forget protection with all the hand-holding you could ever need, Norton One is for you. But if you're capable of handling any technical issues yourself and want to save a little money, Norton 360 Everywhere is a better deal.

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